Think cannabis shop meets Dover Street Market meets Colette Paris, and also you’ve got Gotham, an idea store that opened in Latest York City Thursday. 

Founder Joanne Wilson at all times wanted to construct a store that combined product, lifestyle and culture. 

“I got here out of the retail world. I got here out of the smartphone world, and so I at all times had this concept for a store, multiple stores over time,” she said, explaining COVID-19 store closures reignited her interest.

When a friend called the previous investor of consumer brands like Food52, Parachute and Sweet Loren’s to ask in regards to the cannabis space, Wilson began researching the industry, which she equates to what “the tech business was in 1998,” because the cannabis boom is in its early stages of development.

“Inside a pair days of that decision, I used to be talking to the lawyers within the space and I believed, ‘ what, I’m gonna do that.’ And that was that,” she said. 

But with the need for a highly curated, creative space, Wilson was on the hunt for a partner. She deferred to her friend and celeb stylist Tommy Buckett during a routine haircut. He ultimately introduced her to Billy Richards, Gotham’s chief creative officer, formerly of Rose Bar and Boom Boom Room. 

While Gotham is built around cannabis, it’s not a dispensary — the truth is the team doesn’t even use the word “dispensary.” As an alternative, the concept store is concentrated on creating a way of life brand. 

“With Gotham, the goal isn’t to simply create a store. It’s to create a brand,” Richards said. “The goal is for it to be synonymous with something almost like a Supreme back within the day.”

To do that, the shop layout and customer experience are on the forefront. For instance, if a customer walks into the shop citing a problem with sleeping, the Gotham team might point them to a selected cannabis tincture that promotes restfulness — on the second floor where all the cannabis products are situated. But on the lower level, the client might browse eye masks and candles or study Gotham’s curated rest playlist. Afterward, they will explore the mezzanine level, home to the Gotham gallery, which can host rolling exhibitions.

“I used to enter stores, into Barneys [New York] back within the day, into Jeffrey, you name it they usually had a vibe. You’re like, ‘it is a cool place to be.’ Even when I’m not going to purchase anything, I’m going to see the movers and shakers and see what’s happening here. And that’s lost nowadays,” said Richards. “So once we began to examine what the shop and experience was going to be like, we began to think, ‘how can we bring that back?’”

While this approach lends itself to Gotham’s creative design, which incorporates a everlasting tree installation by artist Molly Lowe, it’s also a sensible business model, as cannabis is a highly regulated space making it difficult to be profitable, in response to Wilson.

“What we did, which is the neatest thing you’ll be able to do, is that we now have merchandise. We even have a non-public label line, which is like our omnichannel,” she said, noting the brand will probably be launching its in-house line of products called Gotham Goods later this yr. 

Because the cannabis industry continues to evolve resulting from federal and state regulations, education was key for Gotham. Due to this fact, all employees have attended sessions, which have been recorded for future training, with the Latest York-based cannabis farmers to learn in regards to the store’s products.

While Gotham is just opening its first store, Wilson is trying to scale. The team plans to have three stores in downtown Latest York City, the legal maximum one owner can operate, with the second location planned for early fall.

“We wish it to be a store for Latest Yorkers and for those who shop and travelers that know this space, a store that’s ingrained within the spirit and culture of Latest York,” Richards said.