FOOD INDUSTRY NEWS JANUARY 2024
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JANUARY 2024
Fifty/50 Opens Chicagoland’s First Cannabis Consumption Lounge Fifty/50 Group opened the first location of Okay Cannabis Dispensary alongside West Town Bakery at 781 Milwaukee Avenue in Wheeling. The former Twin Peaks and Claim Jumper sits off the edge of Lake Cook and Milwaukee Avenue in Wheeling. It also boasts the first and only consumption lounge in Cook County, plus the country’s first cannabis dispensary with a bakery and cafe, cocktail bar, and consumption lounge in the same location. The idea behind the collaborative concept came from the group’s belief that a cannabis dispensary would add longevity and foot traffic to their more than 12 year-old concepts: Roots Handmade Pizza, Homestead on the Roof, and West Town Bakery on Chicago Avenue in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago. While the Wheeling location opened prior, they opened the second Okay Cannabis Dispensary
location in late May, and they are currently finishing construction on their third location with a West Town Bakery in Evanston which is slated for a late January open. Before launching in Wheeling, the Fifty/50 Group dedicated substantial effort to unify their vision, pioneering the nation's first loyalty program that marries cannabis purchases with rewards at their affiliated dining and drinking locales. "Embarking on one of our most inventive and forward-thinking endeavors, we've encountered a learning curve, particularly in Wheeling," admits Scott Weiner, Co-Founder of the Fifty/50 Group. "Our February opening brought unexpected insights; the anticipated morning coffee rush and bakery buzz didn’t meet our forecasts. We discovered a community misconception See “Fifty/50” on page 42
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