Drive-thru Cannabis dispensary opens near I-384 in Manchester
Manchester Welcomes Third Hybrid Cannabis Dispensary with Drive-Thru Convenience.
A third hybrid cannabis dispensary has opened its doors in Manchester, with a unique location along an interstate and a rare drive-thru window.
Florida-based Ayr Wellness recently opened its 94th location at 185 Spencer St. for both medical and adult-use cannabis customers. The 1,600-square-foot building formerly housed a Starbucks before a new location opened across the street in the ShopRite plaza at 210 Spencer St. last year.
Representatives for Ayr Wellness have said the store sets itself apart from Curaleaf and Fine Fettle, which were welcomed into the Buckland area in 2023, by both its drive-thru and location.
The store leverages the existing drive-thru window from its Starbucks lineage to offer both pickup services for pre-purchased orders and conduct deliveries to the store.
East Hartford approved in February a dispensary with drive-thru proposed by Shangri-La CT, which is also planning to open a similar facility in Norwalk by the end of the year. A recent application for a dispensary with drive-thru in Shelton has faced resistance from officials who championed for prohibiting cannabis sales throughout town.
The Spencer Street building is close to Interstate 384, providing access to towns like Bolton, Coventry, and Glastonbury that do not have cannabis dispensaries or currently have prohibitions on the sale of cannabis.
Ayr Wellness' new Manchester location is operated in a partnership with Connecticut Cultivation Solutions, an entity co-owned by Hartford City Councilwoman Tiana Hercules. Hercules was awarded a license through the state's social equity lottery in 2023, alongside 15 other applicants.
Hercules, a Hartford native, said in a statement that she was honored to open a dispensary close to her hometown.
"Legal cannabis is a very good thing for Connecticut with the potential to drive social good in a variety of ways," she said.
As for social good, Ayr officials said the company has contributed to programs like local expungement clinics to help clear criminal records for possession of cannabis.
The dispensary is currently open Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Mondays through Fridays from noon to 8 p.m.
