TIMMINS -- Hobo Cannabis opened Timmins’ first cannabis store Friday, although not with the celebration the company hoped for prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While only able to offer curb-side pickup and delivery due to current provincial regulations, the company’s regional operations director, Jax Woods, said local reception to the shop blew him away.
"Everybody seems to be pretty excited," said Woods.
"(We’re) super excited to come into Timmins and be a part of the community, get some of the local staff in here and give the people what they’re looking for."
The shop opened to over 140 orders, which Woods said makes this the highest earning location of its nine stores across Canada.
While the launch of this location was relatively smooth, considering the circumstances, he said it wasn’t without its hiccups.
Planning for the store began prior to the pandemic and confusion over the status of cannabis stores as essential businesses led to delays.
The province initially allowed legal pot shops to stay open, then reversed that decision in early April — and reversed it again days later.
Having just opened two Hobo stores in Ottawa, Woods said it was a "wild time" adjusting to the changes.
"Just really testing and troubleshooting, non-stop, until we got it. I think we found our ... delivery online system not eight to 12 hours before we rolled it out the next morning."
Once the team figured out how to operate its other stores amidst the pandemic, Woods said opening the Timmins location was a smoother process.
It currently operates with 12 staff, though Woods said there’s potential to create an additional 40 to 50 jobs in the area once this crisis ends.
