The first-of-its-kind cannabis stop in Wheeling is rewriting the shopping experience
If you like to combine the fun of alcohol with cannabis but also have a baking option to break up the “munchies,” Wheeling, IL, seems to bring the answer to your desires. The first store in the state to combine the sale of alcohol with marijuana opened in this area. The owners have faith that the place will become an ideal option for anyone looking to hang out and relax.
Unlike any other mainstream business in the state, Okay Cannabis offers a unique option by housing licensed marijuana sales under the same roof as West Town Bakery. In addition to providing baked goods and other food items, it also offers beer, wine and premium spirits. Charles Mayfield, interim director of operations for Chicago Public Schools, is the majority owner of this new store. Ameya Pawar, a former alderman of Chicago’s 47th Ward, also owns a piece of the operations.
They began joining forces with West Town Bakery to include a coffee shop and a dedicated event space that can be rented for birthday celebrations, graduations, wedding parties and other special occasions. Mayfield is African American, and this led to the owners being classified as a crucial part of social equity, a program Illinois has focused heavily on.
Located specifically on the site of a former Twin Peaks, the massive 12,000-square-foot space certainly makes most dispensaries look small. The coffee shop with its bar is separate from the marijuana retail area, and the owners hope to build on that by adding a marijuana consumption area in the future. It is important to note that customers must prove they are 21 years old to enter the dispensary, but children with parents or guardians are allowed to enter.