Even though a dispensary lobby isn’t the place where patients and customers make their purchases, it still is one of the most memorable portions of their visit to your shop. This entry space we call a “Lobby” can be a major factor in establishing loyalty, generating referral business, and triggering that part of a persons brain that says, “I want to spend my money here.” It also conveys who we are to our neighbors and communities.
I see dispensary lobbies as playing an ambassador role for our industry. This space is the only space in a cannabis dispensary that someone who isn’t a patient or caregiver can be in, and therefore it serves as not only the first, but the ONLY experience many people will personally have with a cannabis dispensary. In the 3 years I spent working in and running dispensaries, few days went by where our lobby didn’t play host to non-patients. It wasn’t just a transition zone for patients, it was a waiting area for their friends and family. It was the face of our business to our mail carrier, neighbors, solicitors, and prospective patients and employees.
Phoenix-based TruMed Dispensary offers one of the sexiest, jaw-dropping dispensary showrooms in the country, but owners Mike Anton and Jon Pilkington admit that when it came to the finishing touches for their lobby, those details got lost in the shuffle of opening for business last fall, building-out their cultivation facility, and keeping up with the day-to-day operations of a cannabis business. They decided to tap into our expertise to help elevate their lobby to the same premium atmosphere as their retail showroom.
With The High Road Design Studio’s Premium Lobby Design Package, we provided them their dream lobby concept in just 2 short weeks.
Upon entering TruMed, visitors have a view of a custom wood block wall that provides a great textured feature for our designs to build upon. However, the tall ceilings and flat, empty walls made the space feel empty and cold. Their educational materials were displayed on the wall next to the showroom door, but weren’t displayed in a way that patients took interest, and they were failing to add value to the patient experience.
The lobby seating area accommodated enough people, but the seating by the entry door caused congestion on busy days. The space was also lacking visual interest and ways for patients to stay patient during long waits.
To make the existing feature wall more impactful, we designed a laser-cut aluminum logo sign with their name backlit in glowing neon orange so no one will ever guess who’s lobby they are sitting in again. We complimented the modern wood block wall with a Jonathan Alder-inspired black chandelier.
A custom bench with space for up to 6 people was created in their TruMed orange and white color scheme. High-resolution images of their own strains, photographed in their own cultivation facility, are printed onto a back-lit, semi-opaque substrate to help connect the space to their entire cannabis operation. It also provides gorgeous imagery for patients to admire while they wait. The grey wall color was brought over to the walls and ceiling to help the artwork standout and to make the space feel less caverness and empty.
A custom 17-foot long succulent planter was designed to bring in natural, modern elements to the large, empty wall. We accented the window frames in TruMed orange to add a hint of creative branding to these wonderful architectural features. The wall was painted white to create a bright contrast to the oranges and greens in the planter. We selected classic Eames-inspired chairs for patient seating that took up less space than their previous chairs, allowing us to remove the two chairs next to the entry door without losing valuable seating. We relocated the education materials to the wall near the front door, which allows for better traffic flow and makes the information more attractive and approachable. A floating, modern cabinet designed in TruMed’s signature colors provides storage and counter area underneath a TV monitor that shows menus and educational information, which becomes a focal point during a patient’s wait. A custom light fixture was also incorporated to help the space feel warm and mitigate the empty feeling caused by the tall ceilings.
AS SUMMER NEARS AND BUSINESS CONTINUES TO INCREASE AT TRUMED, MIKE AND JON ARE PREPARING TO MAKE THEIR DREAM LOBBY A REALITY. “THE HIGH ROAD DESIGN STUDIO CREATED THE PREMIUM EXPERIENCE OUR PATIENTS ARE LOOKING FOR AND THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING. HAVING A LOBBY THAT OUR PATIENTS– AND OURSELVES– WILL LOVE WALKING INTO EVERY TIME IS A GREAT INVESTMENT. REINVESTING A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS INTO A SPACE THAT WILL ONLY HELP US GROW OUR BUSINESS AND RETAIN THE PATIENTS WHO DO CHOOSE TO TRY US OUT WAS A CLEAR WIN FOR US. THE PHOTOS OF OUR NEW LOBBY ALONE WILL ATTRACT ENOUGH FIRST-TIME BUSINESS TO HAVE THE DESIGN PAY FOR ITSELF,” MIKE COMMENTED.
The High Road Design Studio offers Lobby Design Concept Packages that will take your dispensary’s first impression from “shwaggy” to “swanky”. Whether you are looking for ideas on how to better utilize your current features, or looking for a whole new look that will transform your shop’s first space, we can help you fulfill your vision quickly and affordably. Contact us today for more information and pricing.
