Second Cup planning to turn some of its coffee shops into weed dispensaries

Apr 12 2018, 9:44 pm

There will be more reasons than a coffee buzz to visit Second Cup cafes in Canada.

The Canadian coffee retailer has announced a new partnership with pot clinic operator National Access Cannabis (NAC) to develop and operate a network of recreational weed stores, starting in Western Canada.

“This strategic relationship provides Second Cup with a great opportunity to leverage our select real estate assets to increase value for shareholders and franchise partners,” said Second Cup chief executive Garry Macdonald in a statement. “At the same time, we remain focused on growing our Second Cup brand and sales through continued product innovation and expanding our network across Canada.”

The new recreational dispensaries will initially start in the west, with plans to expand and include more provinces where legally permissible.

According to the new partners, NAC will apply for licenses to dispense cannabis products and upon receipt, work with Second Cup and applicable franchisees to leverage the company’s extensive Canadian brand to construct retail stores carrying leading cannabis products.

The companies add that the conversion of any Second Cup café to a NAC-branded recreational cannabis dispensary will be conditional on obtaining a retail license from provincial regulators and the approval of Second Cup, the applicable franchisee and landlord.

“With exceptional quality real estate located across Canada, our alliance with Second Cup will offer consumers access to quality cannabis products and the superior service in the comfortable setting they’ve come to expect from NAC,” said Mark Goliger, Chief Executive Officer of National Access Cannabis. “With an initial focus on Western Canada, we’ll look to work with Second Cup to license select storefronts, utilizing our proven business model to deliver secure, safe, and responsible access.”

Founded in 1975, The Second Cup Ltd. is a Canadian specialty coffee retailer operating franchised and company-owned cafes across Canada. It currently has over 300 locations.

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