New Día plans Fenway dispensary for 2022
Photo | Monica Busch
Ross Bradshaw stands inside New Día, located in what were previously three different shop fronts, which were remodeled for the adult-use dispensary. The process to open the dispensary took several years, during which Bradshaw received offers from outside investors to help him through the process, although he spurred their offers in order to keep majority ownership.
The first economic empowerment cannabis company to open in Worcester is moving forward with plans to open a second location right next to Fenway Park, Owner Ross Bradshaw said on Tuesday.
New Día first opened in Worcester on March 1 following years of planning, construction and navigating the licensing processes. If all goes well, Bradshaw said he hopes to have the second location, at 48-62 Brookline Ave., open by Fenway’s opening day in spring 2022. The shop will be located in the same building as the popular Cask 'n Flagon sports bar, which, like other nearby businesses, fields customers both from Red Sox games and a myriad of colleges located within walking distance. A commuter rail stop is located across the street, as well.
New Día received its host community agreement from the City of Boston in November - the first step needed before companies can apply for licensure through the Cannabis Control Commission, the state’s cannabis regulatory body. In February, the city signed off on zoning requirements.
“I’m excited,” Bradshaw said, noting the Worcester operation has started off well.
“The overall feedback is [customers have] been looking for something like this, something that’s more personal,” he said of the Worcester shop.
The Boston location will be a significant expansion for the Worcester business. While the Worcester location, on Cambridge Street, is about 3,500 square feet, the Boston location is 10,000 square feet, Bradshaw said. He plans to hire 50 people to run it, with hiring focused in the city’s diverse Mission Hill and Roxbury neighborhoods.
Bradshaw said the new dispensary will open under the New Día parent company, meaning the company will maintain its economic empowerment applicant status as it goes through licensing.
After the storied process of opening the flagship New Día, Bradshaw said he hopes to apply his experience and lessons learned as he prepares to embark on the process once again.
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