A Soft and Hazy 4/20 Invite Only Opening for Papa & Barkley Social in the Old Kmart Today

Today marks 4-20, the venerated cannabis holiday and the invite-only soft opening of Papa & Barkley Social, the new cannabis consumption lounge, dispensary, spa, and boutique located in the former nursery section of the now extinct Kmart on Broadway in Eureka.

To be clear, today’s soft opening and chamber-style ribbon cutting is not open to the public, but the 21+ public will be welcome at the grand opening on May 6th. Jon O’Connor, Co-Founder of Humboldt Social, welcomed RHBB on the eve of the soft opening for an informal tour of the 7,000 square foot space. (O’Connor would not permit photography inside of the facility.)

The former Kmart space is now owned by Papa & Barkley, a local company that manufactures and distributes cannabis products containing THC within the state of California. (The company also distributes CBD products across the U.S.)

Papa & Barkley has established licensed cannabis manufacturing and distribution operations in the main building, with Papa & Barkley Social now situated in what used to be the Kmart greenhouse and adjacent concrete patio.

The entryway to the P&B Social space is to the right of the main entrance to the building, and it leads into the boutique space, chicly decorated with dark wood and live plants. The dispensary is behind the boutique, and will feature P&B Social’s house brand in addition to products from three women-owned local farms — Emerald Queen Farms, Dew Point, and Sunrise Mountain Farms.

O’Connor clarified that the retail boutique will offer “all the things you’re not allowed to sell in a dispensary,” including hemp-derived CBD products, clothing, succulents, and jewelry.

The dispensary will sell not only the regular consumption products but it will sell clones in little terra cotta pots, like stylish little pot plant souvenirs or presents.

Papa & Barkley owns the cannabis retail license for the dispensary and all of the cannabis licenses at this location, but the cannabis branch of the
Humboldt Social group of companies has a management agreement with Papa & Barkley for the boutique, dispensary, spa, and lounge areas (“Papa and Barkley Social”).

(Humboldt Social owns the Humboldt Bay Social Club and now the Scotia Inn as well.)

When asked about the renovation cost for this former big box store nursery space, O’Connor would not give a figure, and instead stated, “This cost some money… The Humboldt Social is paying for it, and we’re in the process of raising money from accredited investors.”

In California, it is up to local jurisdictions to regulate consumption in dispensaries, and the City of Eureka has established a permitting process for on-site consumption lounges.

O’Connor explained some of the logistics around the smoking area, explaining that people are welcome to consume the products they purchase in the dispensary, but they will also be allowed to bring in their own cannabis products for consumption (this includes consumption-support devices, like dab rigs). However, an hourly minimum spend will be required to enjoy the space in this way. (Akin to a corkage fee.)

So a visitor to Papa & Barkley Social can bring their own bong, blunts, and/or joints to smoke in the consumption area, but that visitor needs to spend a minimum amount of money for every hour they spend lounging.

“We’re highly encouraging people not to smoke and drive,” O’Connor said when asked about the potential for people driving after becoming intoxicated. Such encouragement will be also delivered via educational signs, and the staff will offer to help guests book an uber or a taxi, if needed, or directions to the nearest bus stops.

The facility’s spa area is indoors and just behind the dispensary. Massage therapist and cannabis educator Nicole Fryer is the owner-operator of the massage business providing services in this space. Because the spa is located in the dispensary, they will be able to offer what Fryer calls “THC massage.”

The spa team is equipped to do full on, full body table massage and chair massages, with add ons like hot stones and dry brushing. If a guest wants a THC (or CBD) massage, they can add it on, essentially purchasing THC- or CBD-infused oil that will be incorporated into the treatment. (This is the part that requires being located within a dispensary, the THC-part, at least.)

Fryer envisions someone coming in on their hour lunch break, purchasing and consuming a CBD gummy, ordering lunch, and getting a 30-minute chair massage while waiting for their food. The guest would then enjoy their lunch, and head “back to work in an hour.”

Once Papa & Barkley Social is open to the public in May, it will be open seven days a week. With a maximum capacity of 100 people, there will be ample space for visitors to spread out, lounge, and smoke (or not). O’Connor said they expect to staff the facility with 6-7 people on any given day.

Given that it’s basically illegal to consume cannabis in public in California, despite the widespread acceptance and legality of cannabis in the state, O’Connor, his team, and the partner farms are excited to create a space where people can legally smoke, chill out, eat, and shop.