Star Buds Dispensary
Star Buds Dispensary
Ellicottville native and entrepreneur part of new Buffalo dispensary
Kim Pitillo, General Manager, Nick Pitillo, Owner, and Dexter Chow-Yuk, Assistant General Manager. Photos / Nick Pitillo
Kenmore Avenue in Buffalo is about to get higher with the upcoming unveiling of Star Buds Cannabis Dispensary. Part of the Star Buds network of dispensaries spanning across five other states, the Buffalo store will be the first in New York upon its licensing and final inspection.
Offering a wide variety of cannabis products and accessories, many of which are from locally sourced and female-owned businesses, Star Buds aims to open its doors on October 10, 2024 upon final approval. A grand opening celebration will be scheduled for a later date.
Co-owners Nick Pitillo and Ed Gurbacki, from the fan-favorite Italian restaurants Osteria 166 in Buffalo and Ellicottville’s own Villaggio, are the licensees and masterminds behind the launch. ellicottvilleNOW caught up with Pitillo, an Ellicottville native, to discuss what’s on the menu.
“It’s kind of ironic - I have been advocating for cannabis virtually my entire life,” he said in a phone interview. “I feel very strongly about its medicinal benefits, pain reduction, things of that nature - it’s not the cannabis of old, if you will - you know, the stigma that’s behind it - it has clearly been something that’s been stigmatized and campaigned against for many of the wrong reasons, frankly.”
Twenty-three years ago, the now-entrepreneur had a brief encounter with the law outside of an Allman Brothers concert in New York City that landed him in handcuffs. That incident would later be the foundation of a new business venture, as he decided to dive into a topic that he was passionate about.
“Once I realized that I was eligible [to open a dispensary], then it became, why wouldn’t I want to be involved in something that I’m passionate about?”
Three years in the making, Buffalo’s own Star Buds is one step closer to becoming a reality. “We have to provide one last series of documentation for the Office of Cannabis Management, then we will have a virtual walk-through with the inspector - at that point, we’re expecting to get the final licensing to be able to receive product.”
The 1,600-square-foot store will entail about 800-900 square feet of retail space. Products will range the gamut of fine cannabis offerings and accessories, from various flower strains, to edibles, topicals, oils and waxes, and even vapes and cartridges, according to its opening press release.
“We have a bunch of female-based brands that we’re using, and one of them in particular is Her Highness; another one would be Jenny,” said Pitillo. Additionally, Pitillo said that he is working with Pothead Parent, owned by two parents, one of whom is a veteran. “They’re not cannabis products, but they are tremendous accessory products that we will carry as well.”
In terms of staff, a job fair was held last month to fill all of the store positions. “I am shocked at the quality of the candidates we got at the job fair… pleasantly surprised, I should say.”
Staff training will be an almost daily occurrence according to Pitillo. “Right now, we’ve got it at four days of training but at the end of the day, training is a journey, not a destination,” he said. “We hope to provide as much product and hospitality training as possible between now and the opening; we will have daily pre-shifts, weekly trainings, and ongoing cannabis trainings in perpetuity.”
When asked of the similarities to the restaurant industry, Pitillo noted that it's very similar, just with less perishable products. “Product knowledge is imperative to be able to describe and drive a customer to what they want; it’s never been [“truer”] than in the cannabis industry - we feel like a lot of people are going to come in that aren’t really sure what they want to do, and maybe they haven’t tried it in years, or things of that nature, and want to learn about a gummy, or an edible, or what are the different strains, or what are the cannabinoids going to do to me, and we can be able to speak on that intelligibly.”
Ellicottville native Kim Pitillo, Nick’s sister, will take the helm as general manager, with 25 years of experience in retail. “[It is] perfect timing [for her] to join us in this endeavor,” Nick said.
Business partner Ed Gurbacki also has deep roots in the community. “Ed and I have been friends for 35 years; we met at our freshman orientation at RIT many years ago,” Pitillo recounted. “He was the only one who supported my endeavor to open my first restaurant, and he will be a part of any business dealings I have because of his support for me.” Pitillo added that he was excited to bring Gurbacki onboard when this opportunity came up.
“We have four other investors that have been friends of ours for many, many years; one of them is James Jackson from Ellicottville,” Pitillo said. He also noted that all of the business partners have Western New York roots.
Star Buds Cannabis Dispensary will open at 396 Kenmore Avenue at Englewood Avenue in Buffalo on or around October 10, 2024, pending final approvals. Hours of operation will be announced closer to the opening date. Online ordering for pickup at a drive-up window will be available as of the opening, with the potential for a delivery service being added at a later date. For additional store information, including opening hours of operation and online ordering, visit the website at www.starbuds.us/newyork.