Bringing the outdoors inside is a hot trend in interior design, both residential and commercial. Boone Town Provisions, tucked into a pastoral hamlet of about 9,000 people surrounded by hiking trails, parks, and the Boonton Falls on the Rockaway River, interpreted the trend in a fresh way that overflows with character — quite literally: The store’s mascot is an eight-foot-tall, custom-designed bear statue named Tokey.
Boone Town’s story began in a raw, industrial shell — a commercial space marked by cinder block walls, towering steel-framed windows, and exposed beams and ductwork. A blank canvas, the space awaited bold vision and creative ingenuity to bring it to life.
Owners Sarah Stretchberry and Justin B. Singer were determined to ensure the dispensary embraced the rich history and culture of Boonton, New Jersey. The dispensary’s name is a nod to the original settlement’s name, Boone-Towne. Settled in 1761, the town once supplied iron to the Continental Army and served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Today, Boonton’s charm remains intact, drawing visitors not only to its museums and antique shops but also to enjoy its picturesque scenery, camping, and hiking opportunities.
To minimize the building’s industrial ceiling and windows, the walls were transformed by a wraparound mural abstractly depicting blue skies and forested hills. Rugs covering wood floors evoke a carpet of woodland moss. Wood is repeated in the ceiling beams and design elements at the checkout stand, as well as in the mascot’s domain: a flower bar called Tokey’s Canteen. Flanked by faux pines and Tokey the Bear (holding a sign proclaiming the sly double entendre “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire!”), the structure calls to mind a forest ranger’s stand. Artifacts from the area’s history dot the shelves, interspersed with cannabis products.
To create fixtures that complement the forestry-inspired, history-seasoned theme, the owners turned to New York-based Display Dispensary.
“Our clients have great ideas, and we always want to make them come to life,” said Georgia Peterman who, along with Jeff Sunga, managed the project. “Fixtures were the initial talking point, but after Sarah and Justin visited our showroom and saw the depth of the product range, the project bloomed pretty quickly from there.”
“The best result is always one that tells the store’s story but also enhances the experience of the people buying the products.“
—Nic Homan, lead engineer, Display Dispensary
Display Dispensary’s parent company, Econoco Corp., has been engineering custom fixtures since 1925.
Crafting gigantic animal mascots is a fairly new skill, but Tokey the Bear is a vital part of Boone Town’s brand story. Reminiscent of an iconic Forestry Service spokesanimal, the mammoth statue evolved from a tiny sticker Boone Town created as a marketing tool.
“The bear is a mannequin, and we designed and built him from scratch,” Sunga said.
Tokey also establishes emotional resonance with consumers, according to Homan. “The best result is always one that not only tells the store’s story but also enhances the experience of the people buying the products,” he said. “What is the story? What is the vibe? What is the essence? We help customers figure all that out in a meaningful way that creates an emotional connection with the customer.”
As the first dispensary in Boonton, Boone Town occupies a unique spot in local history. The shop’s clever design pays homage to a storied past while opening a new chapter about the future.
