Strategically nestled in a woodsy suburb 20 miles southwest of Philadelphia, Microgrown Market is the perfect example of the maxim, “You can’t tell a book by its cover.” The utilitarian-looking green metal building is an altogether different place on the inside, with walls of knotty pine and ledgestone, wood floors, glass shelves, and a soft brown decorative ceiling.
When Matt and Debbie Pruette decided to open a retail cannabis business, they wanted an atmosphere that was homey, welcoming, comfortable, open, and unlike any dispensary they had seen. They partitioned off a small portion of Matt’s lawnmower shop and, with imagination and taste, transformed it into a unique retail environment where the vibe is like a North Woods mountain resort.
Creating their own brand line of unregulated cannabis products, they quickly gained traction in the community. The Pruettes have had to expand the store twice to offer more products and meet market demand. The arrival of THCa flower was an explosion.
We sat down with Matt and Debbie to uncover the secret behind their success.
Give us a snapshot of your brand?
Matt: We sell any legitimate cannabinoid on the market. CBD, CBG, THC-O, Delta-8, THC-P and HHCP are our players. Flower, vapes, edibles, topicals, drinks. The onset of the THCa flower brought the people in. Even though it’s not marijuana, there’s loopholes that still allow you to get high.
Debbie: We also do a lot with the oils, tinctures and topicals because there’s a whole sector of people who use those things for medical purposes. It helps them with anxiety, with pain management.
Matt: I make about 50% of the products, meaning I buy the raw oil, and add my terpenes or whatever I need.
Debbie: He makes all the tinctures that we have, all the vapes, all the topicals, 50% of the edibles, because he makes all the chocolates.
What type of consumers are you targeting?
Debbie: It really runs the gamut. We’ll deal with people as young as 18 and we’ve had some as old as 80. There isn’t a law against it, but we won’t sell to anyone under 18. Some just want it recreationally, but I never realized until I was in this business how many people are in chronic pain and do not sleep.
How does the overall design of your shop cater to what today’s consumers are looking for?
Debbie: When we started this business we went into dispensaries, they were very cold. They’ve got a few things on glass shelves, locked in cabinets. We wanted to take it in a whole new direction, make it very warm, and comfortable.
Matt: We‘re not a headshop. No big pictures of marijuana leaves, no naked girls holding up products, none of that baloney. We wanted a dispensary that shakes hands with a ski lodge.
Debbie: Older people are hesitant, they’re not sure what’s right for them. So, there’s an area where they can sit down and we can have a chat. I can tell them about the products. I think that really sets us apart.
What kind of adjustments have you made in order to cater to how customers are shopping in this new landscape?
Debbie: We’re very willing we sit down and try to educate the customer. A lot of people are not sure what they’re getting into. We talk to them and find out what their issues are, and explain the different materials. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told people, don’t buy anything today, go home, do a little more research of your own so you feel comfortable taking the product.
Matt: We’re not trying to push anybody into buying something just to make a buck. We’re bible followers, we’re followers of Christ. We’re here ultimately to glorify God. Making a profit is third or fourth on the list.
What’s your short-term strategy? Long-term?
Matt: Our short-term and long-term are the same thing: De-stress. I had 40 years in the lawnmower business. It was all stress. This is our second career.
Debbie: I spent over 30 years in HR, I’m a talker. With our customers, I become like a bartender, I hear all about their troubles. Sometimes I pray with them. The homey feeling of the business, that’s what makes it work.
Matt: We just kind of roll in, talk to people about stuff.
Debbie: Long-term is always to keep abreast of the products. Matt’s always coming up with new products. It takes work to stay on top of this industry because it changes every day.
What’s the best piece of advice you can offer to other brands on how to deal with what is happening right now in the marketplace?
Debbie: The biggest thing you need to do is know your product.
Matt: It inevitably gets down to the quality of the product.
What makes your location engaging to today’s cannabis customer? Have you added any in-store features?
Debbie: It’s comfortable, welcoming. We’re off the beaten path. We don’t have flashy signs. It’s a plain green building on the outside.
Matt: It keeps us under the radar.
Debbie: But most of our neighbors are customers, so we don’t get complaints from them. There’s been a big stigma against this plant for a long time. People are hesitant. “I don’t know if I want to be seen going to a dispensary.” They park a block away. But we make them feel comfortable about it.
Walk us through how and why your shop(s) is designed the way it is? Take us through your construction and design strategy.
Debbie: This was Matt’s vision. He designed it, he created all the products.
Matt: I wanted it to be an anti-dispensary dispensary. I had guys come in and put up drywall and beyond that, I used natural materials. Wood, ledgestone, I had rough cut lumber from an oak tree that fell ten years ago, and we used that for shelves and tables. The decorative ceiling tiles are from Ceilume. I found them years ago on some DIY channel. I used them in my basement, and it looks awesome, they’re down there to this day.
When I decided to do the store, it was a foregone conclusion. The Stratford style, in Latte [color] is exactly what I wanted. The serviceability is unbelievable. You can just wrestle them in or out, they’re flexible, you can cut them with scissors, there’s no dust. It was just a no-brainer. And you can get ‘em on Amazon, which is nice if you come up short.
I’ve got a few left now, I’m going to do my bathroom. We also have a fountain with bears frolicking on it. That was all about trying to create a soothing sound.
Debbie: There’s two chairs by the fountain. It’s very calming and peaceful.
Matt: That’s our consultation area.
Talk about sustainability. What are you doing?
Matt: We reused existing materials to build the place. We minimize our packaging, too. Our tincture bottles don’t come in a box, for example.
Debbie: If you bring your empty bottle back, we’ll refill it.
What type of opportunities do you see moving ahead?
Debbie: People ask us all the time, don’t you want another store? No, we like this the way it is, we couldn’t do what we do if we had another store. We just keep our ear out about what’s new. Since the plant has been illegal for so long, there were not extensive studies on it. Now, they’re doing a lot more research. So, let’s see where the plant leads us.
What trends are you seeing/expecting?
Debbie: What’s really growing is the drinks. People love them, because they want to get off the alcohol.
Matt: It tastes good, they feel better, and there’s no hangover.
Debbie: We have our own pet line, too. Fourth of July, when dogs go crazy with the fireworks, this calms them down.
Matt: It’s the same CBN we use for humans, and we put a dog label on it, and make it taste like bacon.
What’s the secret to creating a “must visit” location in today’s competitive landscape?
Debbie: Knowledge base is huge, and taking your time with the customers.
Tell us what makes your brand unique?
Debbie: What’s unique for us is that we make our stuff. I can say to them, anything we’re breathing into our lungs is natural, it’s not got a lot of other things added. People trust the product, they trust us.
One-on-One with…Debbie and Matt
Describe a typical day. What’s the biggest thing on your to-do list right now?
Debbie: A typical day for me, I open up the store, get everything up and running. I make sure all the shelves are stocked, I do all the paperwork, do the financials from the day before. Sometimes when I walk in the door, there can be people waiting for me.
Matt: I’m in the back making up labels, making new products.
Debbie: This is a second career for both of us. I’m happy to be out of the corporate world.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
Debbie: When I can help somebody who’s in pain or can’t sleep, that’s my greatest reward.
Matt: That’s all driven because we’re bible followers.
What was the best advice you ever received?
Matt: Don’t eat yellow snow.
Debbie: This is why he doesn’t deal with the customers and I do.
What’s the best thing a client has ever said to you?
Matt: I get compliments about the store, both the décor, and the products. For Debbie it’s more of a touchy-feely thing.
Debbie: My biggest satisfaction is when the person comes back and says ‘that really worked for me.’
Matt: That’s why we give out a lot of samples. We’re not here just for the money.
Debbie: The customer walks out of here feeling like we cared.
How do you like to spend your down time?
Debbie: Matt doesn’t. He is either sleeping or working; there’s no in between. My downtime… We’re involved with our church. My kids are grown and living in other places, and my favorite thing would be to go and visit them.
