NORWALK — Ben Zachs, chief operating officer at Fine Fettle, said the company’s Norwalk retail cannabis shop will open in late December or early January.
This timeline would likely put Fine Fettle on Norwalk’s map after competitor Shangri-La, which has an anticipated December opening at its 430 Main Ave. location following interior renovations.
Zachs said construction will add about 800 square feet to the Fine Fettle location, totaling a 1,600-square-foot space.
Upon opening, Zachs said the retail location will have 18 to 20 employees
“(It will be a) mix from front desk to budtenders, inventory (employees), inventory leads, sales floor manager, inventory manager, assistant general manager, and general manager,” he said.
Zachs said managerial roles will likely be internal hires.
“Lucky for us, you know, we’ve got a really good team in Stamford and succession planning there,” the COO said.
Fine Fettle’s 12 Research Drive location in Stamford, which sells both recreational and medical cannabis, opened its doors for the first time on Jan. 10, 2023, when the state launched its legal market.
Zachs said that within the next two weeks, Fine Fettle will begin the search for the general manager, followed by the assistant general manager search one to two weeks after that.
While those managerial roles will likely come from within, Zachs said sourcing jobs from Norwalk is crucial.
“It’s really important to us to hire from Norwalk, it’s also really important to hire people who grew up and live in the disproportionately impacted areas, to have a diverse team,” Zachs said.
In Connecticut, disproportionately impacted areas are census tracts historically targeted by the war on drugs.
“We think that’s just the right way to do it,” Zachs said. “And we believe that cannabis is a hyperlocal business, right?”
He said bringing jobs to Norwalk is something he’s excited for as Fine Fettle approaches market entry.
“Norwalk is an area that has definitely been impacted by the war on drugs,” Zachs said. “I think to bring in a local and diverse set of employees to create jobs in town (is important).”
He said that Fairfield County “is just totally underserved in terms of cannabis,” so Fine Fettle can meet the market with the company’s “wellness”-oriented business model aimed toward destigmatizing the substance.
“People just have so many wrong thoughts, convictions about cannabis, and when they come into our store and they see the professionalism, the passion and knowledge, and that our staff really wants to be teachers and wellness guides and coaches,” Zachs said. “You know, it really changes what people think.”
Zachs said that some consumers use cannabis “for some level of health and wellness benefit.”
H/T: www.middletownpress.com
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