This BC-based cannabis retailer is growing through community and culture

Vancouver cannabis entrepreneur John Kaye understands the importance of legacy. So when he co-founded Burb Cannabis, he helped ensure that legacy became one of the company’s values.

“We’re in this position because of the many brave and passionate legacy growers, breeders, manufacturers, wholesalers and customers that paved the way for this industry to exist,” said Kaye, CEO and creative director of Burb, in an interview with Daily Hive. “We bring a legacy lens to the legal industry to ensure that quality standards remain high for weed smokers.”

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Burb Cannabis (Submitted)

Kaye co-founded Burb with Steve Dowsley, chairman of the board and president, and Clayton Chessa, COO, in early 2018 before legalization. The BC-based private retailer of recreational cannabis currently operates three stores in the Tri-Cities — two in Port Coquitlam and one in Port Moody’s Sutterbrook Village.

“Burb is a diverse and passionate community of people brought together by a shared love of cannabis, creativity, music, art and culture,” said Kaye. “We’re legacy-minded and committed to ensuring that high-quality craft cannabis continues to define the culture of BC both regionally and on a global level.

“We felt the industry was shifting away from the culture of cannabis to larger corporate entities jumping in to make a quick dollar. We realized that through retail, we’d have the ability to shape the consumer journey and educate people on the cultural relevance behind this movement.”

John Kaye, Co-founder, CEO and Creative Director of Burb (left) and Clayton Chessa Co-founder and COO of Burb (Submitted)

Kaye explains that Burb’s stores act as community centres that celebrate the plant and preserve the culture associated with it. The company recently introduced Happy Hours offering specials on products twice a day on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Customers can always expect great selection and service when they visit our stores,” said Kaye. “We feel like every hour at Burb is happy but wanted to make it extra special during the Happy Hours time periods. We’re always looking for ways to please our customers and thank them for being a part of our community.”

Burb’s passion for cannabis, community and culture is helping the company grow quickly. They were recently approved for a new recreational cannabis retail location in East Vancouver that will be opening later this year. Burb is also working on approval to open the first legal recreational cannabis retail location on a university campus on the University Endowment Lands at UBC.

The cannabis company is launching products in Ontario and California this summer and bringing new BC-bred genetics to both markets. Burb is also opening new stores in key North American markets over the next 12-24 months.

Burb Cannabis (Submitted)

“Our cannabis products are highly curated,” said Kaye. “We believe in quality over quantity so customers can be sure that our shops will always have the best stock across a variety of different categories. We want to calm the customer, not overwhelm them with options and technology in our shops. We have a very differentiated cannabis retail experience – we put people first.

“We love giving back, educating and delighting our customers in many different ways. The different programs and channels of the Burb ecosystem allow customers and fans of the brand to engage with us through different touchpoints. Hopefully, it all leads to more people enjoying great cannabis, being creative and just having a good time.”