The Windy City Cannabis dispensary in Homewood will double in size soon.
The medical and recreational marijuana store at 1137 175th St. in Homewood will expand into the connected vacant space next door in the business strip. Windy City is planning to close briefly while the renovations take place. The downtime will allow contractors to connect the new space and remodel the existing location.
Windy City Cannabis CEO Perri Knight said that the increase in size was long overdue. The current layout of the dispensary complies with old regulations. A different setup was required when the store started selling medical cannabis in 2016. With the recent growth in both medical and recreational marijuana sales, the need for a more spacious and customer-friendly environment became evident.
Customers often have to wait in long lines outside of the dispensary. With an expanded lobby and check-in area, Knight said Windy City Cannabis can keep customers comfortable by allowing them inside. The updated space will be more accommodating when the store gets busy.
Knight said that 10 registers will be added to decrease the wait time and reduce the length of lines. The expansion also comes with more parking spaces. The addition is expected to make the entire shopping experience more convenient for Windy City customers.
Windy City is anticipating the need for more employees as they expand. The dispensary has held job fairs recently and is in the process of hiring and training new staff.
Knight said that loyal customers don’t need to worry about the temporary closing. “We have a sister store in Posen that is only 12 miles away,” he noted.
The renovated Windy City Cannabis in Homewood is expected to reopen in late August or early September.