SHOP REVIEW
WILDWEST EMPORIUM Wild West Emporium is the epitome of a neighborhood shop. At first glance, it might seem like any other clean dispensary, but it didn’t take long talking with the owners and managers to see what makes this place stand out.
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peaking with Lucia Lewis about what makes the shop tick, she mentioned that they hire a diverse group of folks and then allow their abilities to shine. Walking through the door and seeing a familiar friendly face is one of their secrets to running the sort of shop that customers return to time and again. It’s the perfect place to pop in for a pre-roll or stop in to pick the budtender’s brain and see what’s new. Customer service is clearly a priority for Wild West. “We want the customer to feel taken care of,” Lucia added. “We serve a lot of locals who have other options and we’ve turned them into loyal customers – I think it’s because we’re down to earth. We don’t strike that corporate vibe and people connect with that.” With a little something for everyone, Manager Betsey walked me through the shelves of flower boasting over 40 options. There’s a wide variety of terpene and cannabinoid profiles, and the selection of jars is easy to lose oneself in while admiring the selection. Manager Ben made sure to mention the deals they offer. “We’re always running new specials, monthly specials, daily specials,” he said. “I see people walk out of here with even more than they thought they were going to get.” “We want to make sure we’re taking care of the customer either way,” added Betsey. “We have people that are coming in for two dollars worth of weed and two hundred dollars, and we treat them the same – we just want to get everybody stoned! We’re not so much worried about our bottom line, as much as we want to make sure people get what they need.” Beyond educational workshops for all of their customers, the shop is also focused on supporting the OMMP program and patients. As Lucia mentioned, they are ramping up a program to offer assistance and support for potential patients where the shops will help a few customers each month apply for their OMMP cards. Keep an eye out for more info, or mention it to the Wild West budtender the next time you stop in. Everyone I spoke with mentioned the where-everybody-knows-yourname vibe that the shop has worked hard to cultivate. Lucia is humble about that, and offered that it is just her and her team’s approach to being a dependable neighborhood stop. “It’s a simple plan if we can stick to it,” she said. “Treat your employees well, get quality products, good prices, and offer great customer service.” From the familial atmosphere between the employees and the big smiles and bags leaving the dispensary, I’d say the plan is working.
OCT. 2021
OREGON CITY
WALKING THROUGH THE DOOR AND SEEING A FAMILIAR FRIENDLY FACE IS ONE OF THEIR SECRETS TO RUNNING THE SORT OF SHOP THAT CUSTOMERS RETURN TO TIME AND AGAIN.
