Unique among Colorado dispensaries—and even within its own six-location chain—Euflora 3D is a sensory experience, not just a destination. And that’s exactly how Pepe Breton, owner of the Euflora chain, wants it. He designed Euflora 3D based upon experiences he’d had at competing dispensaries. “He didn’t like the layout of other locations, as they were intimidating,” said Marketing Director Lindsay Hanna. “[He felt] it was a bit threatening to approach the budtender not knowing what you want.”
In response to this perceived discomfort, Breton set out to “create a space that allowed visitors to browse, touch, and smell the products to better understand what they were getting,” Hanna said. “Intimidating is the last thing we want [customers] to think of when thinking of Euflora. We want to be less threatening for first-time visitors who are wanting to learn more about cannabis.”
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To achieve his vision of approachability, Breton “eliminated the need for a waiting room and created an open space where [customers could] browse just like they would at any [mainstream retail] store,” said Hanna. “We do not have a lobby, and that has been done specifically. We want everyone to feel welcome and to browse at their own pace rather than being put on the spot by a budtender before [they] have had the opportunity to look around. We want everyone from the first-time buyer to the daily consumer to feel comfortable [enough to] ask questions in our space.”
Euflora 3D not only is a site of historical significance but also home to one of the city’s only grandfathered grow rooms.
High on design The shopping experience is as much a part of the design as the store itself. Lacking a traditional waiting room or lobby, Euflora 3D customers walk directly onto the sales floor as soon as they have passed a mandatory ID check. Upon age verification, customers find themselves surrounded by sleek, wooden, glass-topped podiums, each showcasing one of the shop’s available strains with not only an iPad full of information but also a physical sample to touch and smell. Glass, wood-framed cases line the shop’s two side walls, displaying products grouped by type and ranging from concentrates to vape pens, edibles, tinctures, tablets, and topicals. Completing the open-floor space, a large horseshoe-shaped checkout counter rests at the center of the room.
Interactive displays create a tactile Experience (Image courtesy of Euflora 3D)
According to Hanna, Euflora 3D offers a “unique, comfortable shopping experience, free from the confinements of a traditional dispensary. Everyone [over 21 years old] is welcome to browse the product sections as well as see and smell all the strains available for purchase. Questions are highly encouraged, as everyone’s cannabis experience can be different.”
Technology also plays a big role in the sales process. “Informally dubbed ‘the Apple Store of cannabis,’ Euflora is heavily tech-based and provides iPads containing information about each strain available for purchase,” said Hanna. “Online ordering is offered at the 3D location, allowing guests to browse the product menu and reserve their items before entering the store. Euflora works using a cloud-based [point of sale] system, allowing budtenders to have real-time inventory numbers.”
Location, location, location Located in the RiNo art district in Denver, aka Mile High City, Euflora 3D not only is a site of historical significance but also home to one of the city’s only grandfathered grow rooms. Previously known as the 3D Cannabis Center, the dispensary was purchased by Breton in 2015. With its auspicious history as the first location to sell recreational cannabis in the U.S., the “establishment holds a lot of sentimental value in the cannabis community,” said Hanna. “Euflora has since done some serious renovations to improve the efficiency of the space to use some of the space for cultivation.”
Image courtesy of Euflora 3D
That cultivation operation, known as “the Viewing Room,” is one thing that sets the dispensary apart. “We are one of only a few viewing rooms still in operation, as we were grandfathered in after our purchase of the facility,” said Hanna. “Guests can see the plants in several stages of their growth while browsing our showroom. Several strains are showcased at a time to display the differences in their leaves and bud structure. Most of the time [customers] are able to view a strain growing and can then purchase the same strain that had been grown previously. New dispensaries in Denver are not allowed to have a viewable growing room.”
Beyond the shop Giving back to the community is a high priority for the entire Euflora chain. “On Saturdays, Euflora donates a percentage of the profits to a chosen non-profit for the month,” said Hanna. “In the past, we’ve donated to PETA, Denver Gives, Animal Rescue of the Rockies, Impact Network, and The Doing Good Foundation.” Euflora also works with several entities in Colorado to help enrich the cannabis culture and provide education to the community. Some of its educational partners include the Sixteenth Street Mall, Aurora Chamber of Commerce, Marijuana Industry Group, and the Cannabis Industry Association.
Under a partnership with My 420 Tours, both tourists and locals can gain direct access to Euflora’s greenhouse facility, located ten minutes from the 3D shop. “Guests board a cannabis-friendly bus where they can partake in cannabis consumption as well as hear more about the cannabis-growing process at Euflora,” Hanna said. “Once visitors arrive at the greenhouse, one of our growers gives them an in-depth tour of the facility. Guests can see the plants up close and pose for pictures.
Image courtesy of Euflora 3D
“The growing, cultivation, and curing process are all laid out by the tour guide, and guests can smell the latest strain that has been harvested,” she continued. “Tour guests are then loaded back onto the cannabis-friendly bus and driven to the Euflora 3D location. There, guests are able to view more cultivation efforts as well as purchase products at a discounted price. After guests have made their purchases, they are loaded back onto the bus and driven back to the My 420 Tour headquarters, as that is the conclusion of the tour.”
Advertising, Marketing, and Social Media
“All Euflora locations are listed on cannabis search engines such as Weedmaps, Leafly, and PotGuide. This allows consumers to browse deals and pricing from dispensaries in their immediate area. Euflora also utilizes search engine optimization (SEO) to attract both tourists and locals using specific keywords and phrases.” —Lindsay Hanna, marketing director
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