Serial entrepreneur Salinas debuts CT’s first cannabis bud bar in Derby; dispensaries in Hartford, New Haven next
Kiki Bidon, Legacy Squad
David Salinas at the bud bar in his Hi! People Cannabis Market in Derby
Retail cannabis store Hi! People Cannabis Market in Derby has opened the state’s first bud bar — a space where customers can examine and smell the different cannabis products on offer.
“People are able to look at it under a magnifying glass, they're able to smell it,” said general manager Justin Sheridan. “This is going to give them a much greater idea of what they're interested in, whereas in the past you would have to rely on images of the products provided by the growers.”
Previously, customers relied on ordering from menu choices on a digital screen.
Hi! People co-founder and CEO David Salinas likens the bud bar to being able to compare produce at the supermarket, although the buds and edible products remain in plastic containers while they’re handled, and security is high.
“At night we have to break down the displays, put them into secure storage and then lock it up for the night,” he said.
Serial entrepreneur Salinas opened the Derby location in January. He says he’s been in negotiations with the state Department of Consumer Protection to get approvals for the bud bar since then. His aim is to cultivate a relaxed, coffee-shop style atmosphere in his retail locations.
“Nobody wants to be treated like they're doing something that's bad, because no one does that to them at the package stores,” he said. “Connecticut's market has taken off so slowly and it's because people were expecting something that they didn't get and that they've seen already in Massachusetts, in Rhode Island.”
Hi! People is also launching a home delivery service this month.
Salinas is planning other locations for the Hi! People brand. He says Hartford is next, where the company is waiting on a final building permit for a site at 306 Market St., close to the Yard Goats stadium.
“I’m all about location,” he said. “It's right at the intersection of 84 and 91 so it's visible to both highways, which is about 300,000 cars a day.”
He says the Hartford store will be up to 4,000 square feet, and he hopes construction can start within a few weeks, anticipating a mid-summer opening. A store at 1041 State St., in New Haven is planned for the fall.
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