It’s a true homecoming for one of Ohio’s favorite locally-grown cannabis pioneers. Klutch Cannabis officially opened the doors to its brand-new flagship dispensary located at 1960 West Market Street in West Akron on Wednesday, October 7th.
Moving their seventh dispensary license from its previous location in Tallmadge, this new West Akron storefront represents a monumental milestone for the vertically integrated company. For a brand with deep roots in the Akron community—where its cultivation and processing operations have been based since its founding in 2020—launching a retail presence in its own backyard has been a decade in the making.
A Decade in the Making: A True Hometown Homecoming
Klutch Cannabis has earned a stellar reputation across the Midwest for connoisseur-grade cannabis, rare award-winning phenotypes, and exclusive partnerships with top-tier brands like Kiva Confections, Cookies, and Josh D. However, despite employing hundreds of people locally and calling Akron home from day one, the company lacked a retail storefront right in its own neighborhood.
“For us, opening a Klutch dispensary in Akron is truly a dream come true,” said Klutch Cannabis Founder and CEO Adam Thomarios. “This is our hometown. It’s where we started, where we built this company, and where so many members of our team live and work.”
Vice President of Compliance and Communications Pete Nischt echoed that sentiment, noting that employees, store managers, and executives who live just minutes down the road finally have a local Klutch retail home to call their own.
Inside the New “Working Lab” Flagship Store
Positioned ideally in a high-traffic area just minutes away from Copley, Fairlawn, Bath, and Medina County, the West Market Street location has been designated as Klutch’s official flagship store.
Unlike a standard retail location, the flagship store will serve as a “working lab” for the brand. According to Nischt, having a retail hub right next to headquarters allows Klutch to innovate in real time:
- Exclusive Product Drops: A testing ground for new product lines, formulations, and limited-edition drops—such as exclusive rosin releases.
- Merchandise & Display Innovation: Piloting new in-store merchandising, displays, and customer experiences.
- Rapid Restocking: Situated just 10 minutes away from production, the flagship ensures immediate restocking of fresh, top-tier products.
Housed in a former florist shop, the building underwent an extensive renovation, featuring expanded parking and carefully planned landscaping to seamlessly fit the West Akron aesthetic.
“It’s smaller than some of our other stores,” noted Nischt, “But I think this model really works for this neighborhood, and it’s the perfect size for what we’re doing here. A dispensary like this was really the perfect way to activate this corner of West Market and South Frank Boulevard.”
Grand Opening Deals and Celebration
To celebrate the grand opening, Klutch kicked off the morning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:00 AM, accompanied by massive promotional savings for patients and adult-use customers.
Shoppers can take advantage of special doorbuster deals offering up to 40% off cannabis products running now through October 17.
Store Hours:
- Thursday – Saturday: 9:00 AM – 10:45 PM
- Sunday – Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Cashless Curbside Pickup: Available from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily for convenient pre-orders.
Medical Patient Discounts: 25 percent off entire stock on Thursdays and Fridays. 20 percent off Klutch and Josh D products Saturday through Wednesday
Other Daily Discounts: Veterans get 30 percent off
Driving Local Economic Growth and Community Impact
The new dispensary is over a year in the making and took enormous efforts due to the complex requirements from both the City of Akron and the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control (DCC). Every minor alteration to the site plan, such as signage or landscaping, required new approvals and re-submittals, explained Nischt. From requesting the DCC’s approval to move, to finding an appropriate building given the numerous restrictions regarding proximity to schools, daycares, playgrounds, parks, etc., to submitting architectural drawings, to conducting a traffic study to make sure the dispensary would not create congestion risks compared to traditional retail, the Klutch team had to overcome multiple hurdles before opening the West Market St. store.
Beyond providing cannabis products, the new dispensary represents a significant economic contribution for the City of Akron. Through Ohio’s host community funding structure, tax revenues generated by the dispensary will contribute directly to municipal budgets—helping fund vital public services for the local community.
“We’re creating good-paying jobs and generating a significant amount of tax revenue for the community,” Nischt emphasized. “Tax revenue from our stores goes toward purchasing life-saving equipment like fire trucks that benefit communities for generations.”
Plan Your Visit
Ready to check out Klutch’s new flagship location? Head over to 1960 West Market Street, Akron, OH 44313, or visit klutchcannabis.com to browse the live menu and place an online pre-order for curbside pickup.
