New York City’s The Flowery is expanding its reach with a new cannabis dispensary in the East Village.
The store, which is the brand’s eighth location, is run by Sean Maguire, a long-time East Village resident and hospitality entrepreneur behind the neighborhood’s 310 Bowery, Downtime, and Eastpoint, as well as Food & Beverage Director at Spartan Race.
“I aspired to own a bunch of bars and restaurants when I was younger, and I accomplished that and I was happy with how everything turned out,” said Maguire. “I just thought it was time to turn a new page and move into the cannabis industry.”
Like its other New York City locations, The Flowery’s East Village location sells a variety or cannabis products, ranging from flower, prerolls and gummies to concentrates, vaporizers and tinctures.
“We have a good mix of products, so everyone comes in for something different. We try and hear the customer out and see what they’re looking for and match them with the, the best possible product,” said Maguire.
Those who enter The Flowery will be met by the staff, who after checking ID, will lead them through the buying experience. Whether you are a seasoned cannabis user or new to the products, the staff will work with you to find what you’re looking for.
“I want the employees to walk [customers] around the store and show them all the options and then really talk to the customer and see what they’re interested in achieving and then work with them through that to get them the right, the right product,” said Maguire. “We have a lot of visuals. We have bud TVs that you could see the buds up close. We have a microscope where you could actually take the bud and put it under the microscope and you could see it.”
As an East Villager himself, Maguire felt that bringing The Flowery to the neighborhood was essential because he’s seen how much the neighborhood has evolved over time and knew that the store would be a good fit for the area.
“I went to college at the Fashion Institute of Technology up in Chelsea, and while I was going there, I kept gravitating towards the East Village. Then, as I graduated, I moved to the East Village and I’ve been here ever since,” said Maguire. “I just love the community, the culture, the history, it’s changing so much over the years, some good ways, some bad ways. It’s just the place to be, you could have a beautiful storefront and the next door you have like a 30-year-old, 40-year-old, 50-year-old mom-and-pop shop next to it.”
For Maguire and The Flowery as a whole, being a part of the community is one of the top priorities for the shop. Because of his roots in the community, McGuire wants to be as hands-on as possible.
“I have a pretty big network within the community, and I plan on leaning on them to help introduce me to other people within the community,” said McGuire. “From opening the different bars and restaurants around the neighborhood, I learned that you have to be hands-on. I’m a really hands-on guy, sometimes if you can come by here, I’ll be on a ladder, I’ll be sweeping the floor out front. I’ll be hosing down the front of the store to make sure it looks really clean. I feel like you really gotta be hands-on and then customers, a lot of times, I believe that they wanna meet the owner, see the owner, interact with the owner, and really become part of the store, and become a regular, be on a first-name basis. I’m really all about that and I hope to continue that here.”
The store recently celebrated its grand opening on Aug. 2, complete with brand activations and pop-ups for the public to enjoy. As the store continues to cement itself in the neighborhood, Maguire hopes that The Flowery can host educational events as well as fun events for the community.
But for now, Maguire wants New Yorkers to know that anyone, whether they buy or not, is welcome to stop in.
“Everyone is welcome here. We’re open and we’re ready to serve you guys and if you’re walking by, you don’t have to purchase anything, just come in and say hello and and we’ll be here,” said Maguire.
The Flowery’s East Village store is located at 101 East 10th St. For more information, visit www.thefloweryny.com.
