Evan Somogyi, founder and owner of Kulture Smoke and Vape. Jack Jacobs photo.
After years of running local head shops and CBD stores, Evan Somogyi is planting the proverbial seeds to try to capitalize on the eventual recreational marijuana market in Virginia.
The owner of Kulture Smoke and Vape plans to relocate his Chesterfield outpost this spring to a former gas station at 10150 Hull St., where he’ll eventually aim to open a recreational marijuana dispensary.
The venture hinges on the expected opening of the recreational side of the industry in 2024, as laid out by the General Assembly last year. And while the rules for the nascent industry are still being set, Somogyi is willing to lay the groundwork now.
“We plan to build out the dispensary as if it were selling the adult-use cannabis,” Somogyi said. “Even though we don’t know how licensing will be handled, we are hopeful that with 23 years in the industry and being a staple of the Richmond community we will be in the front running for a license.”
Somogyi said the plan for Kulture since the company opened its first store in Shockoe Bottom has always been to sell marijuana if the legal market ever materialized. He admits there are plenty of odds and ends that won’t be fully finalized until later, but he’s betting the new location puts the company in a good position to participate in the market.
“There are still a lot of what-ifs. Will each county/city be given a certain amount of licenses, can we import from other states, does it have to be grown and processed locally, who will regulate it, etc.,” he said. “We don’t have these answers, but we want to be ready.”
Kulture Smoke and Vape plans to relocate its current store on Hull Street to a former gas station at 10150 Hull St. about a mile away. The new spot will eventually be a marijuana dispensary, pending license approval and the launch of the legal market. (Jack Jacobs photo)
The move will take Kulture about a mile away from its current Chesterfield location at 10621 Hull St. The new store is expected to open April 20, which will also mark the 13th anniversary of the company’s Chesterfield store.
An LLC tied to Somogyi bought the property for $850,000 in August. It features a larger 2,400-square-foot storefront and is near Rockwood Park. It’s in an area under review by the county for a new land-use plan intended to help guide it toward mixed-use redevelopment, something Somogyi hopes will provide fertile soil for his project.
“We have kind of outgrown the space that Kulture is in now, we’re about maxed out there,” Somogyi said. “The opportunity (to buy the gas station property) presented itself at the right time.”
The 1-acre property was most recently valued at about $772,000, according to Chesterfield online property records. The deal hadn’t been reflected in the county’s online records as of mid-December.
The upcoming Kulture will also effectively double as a new location of Somogyi’s CBD concept Kultivate Wellness. As such, it’ll offer Kulture’s glass pieces and smoking accessories as well as Kultivate’s CBD products.
“The 2,400 square feet will give us ample room to sell legal adult-use cannabis and all the necessary delivery accessories,” Somogyi said.
In addition to Chesterfield and Shockoe Bottom Kulture spots, there are locations in the Fan and Glen Allen. There are Kultivate locations in Short Pump, which opened in 2020, and Midlothian.
Evan Somogyi, founder and owner of Kulture Smoke and Vape. Jack Jacobs photo.
After years of running local head shops and CBD stores, Evan Somogyi is planting the proverbial seeds to try to capitalize on the eventual recreational marijuana market in Virginia.
The owner of Kulture Smoke and Vape plans to relocate his Chesterfield outpost this spring to a former gas station at 10150 Hull St., where he’ll eventually aim to open a recreational marijuana dispensary.
The venture hinges on the expected opening of the recreational side of the industry in 2024, as laid out by the General Assembly last year. And while the rules for the nascent industry are still being set, Somogyi is willing to lay the groundwork now.
“We plan to build out the dispensary as if it were selling the adult-use cannabis,” Somogyi said. “Even though we don’t know how licensing will be handled, we are hopeful that with 23 years in the industry and being a staple of the Richmond community we will be in the front running for a license.”
Somogyi said the plan for Kulture since the company opened its first store in Shockoe Bottom has always been to sell marijuana if the legal market ever materialized. He admits there are plenty of odds and ends that won’t be fully finalized until later, but he’s betting the new location puts the company in a good position to participate in the market.
“There are still a lot of what-ifs. Will each county/city be given a certain amount of licenses, can we import from other states, does it have to be grown and processed locally, who will regulate it, etc.,” he said. “We don’t have these answers, but we want to be ready.”
Kulture Smoke and Vape plans to relocate its current store on Hull Street to a former gas station at 10150 Hull St. about a mile away. The new spot will eventually be a marijuana dispensary, pending license approval and the launch of the legal market. (Jack Jacobs photo)
The move will take Kulture about a mile away from its current Chesterfield location at 10621 Hull St. The new store is expected to open April 20, which will also mark the 13th anniversary of the company’s Chesterfield store.
An LLC tied to Somogyi bought the property for $850,000 in August. It features a larger 2,400-square-foot storefront and is near Rockwood Park. It’s in an area under review by the county for a new land-use plan intended to help guide it toward mixed-use redevelopment, something Somogyi hopes will provide fertile soil for his project.
“We have kind of outgrown the space that Kulture is in now, we’re about maxed out there,” Somogyi said. “The opportunity (to buy the gas station property) presented itself at the right time.”
The 1-acre property was most recently valued at about $772,000, according to Chesterfield online property records. The deal hadn’t been reflected in the county’s online records as of mid-December.
The upcoming Kulture will also effectively double as a new location of Somogyi’s CBD concept Kultivate Wellness. As such, it’ll offer Kulture’s glass pieces and smoking accessories as well as Kultivate’s CBD products.
“The 2,400 square feet will give us ample room to sell legal adult-use cannabis and all the necessary delivery accessories,” Somogyi said.
In addition to Chesterfield and Shockoe Bottom Kulture spots, there are locations in the Fan and Glen Allen. There are Kultivate locations in Short Pump, which opened in 2020, and Midlothian.
Congrats on the purchase Evan. I hope the self anointed cannabis power brokers recognize all the hard work you have put into this budding industry over the years. I remember the days of when using the word “bong” in your Shockoe Slip store would get you kicked out.