Beleaf, Riverhead Town’s first marijuana shop, now open in Calverton

Riverhead Town’s first recreational marijuana shop is open for business. 

Beleaf, located in the Calverton Commons shopping plaza at 4462 Middle Country Road, had a “soft opening” on Nov. 23.

It plans to celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, featuring brand activations, raffles and giveaways and a “ticket blitz” by My Country 96.1 from 1 to 3 p.m., Beleaf partner Michael Reda said in a phone interview today. (See below for concert details.)

The Calverton shop is the company’s second location. Beleaf opened its first location in Brooklyn on Sept. 6, Reda said.

“The location is great. It’s tucked away. Not everybody going into a dispensary wants everybody to see their business and know what they’re doing. So where we’re situated and where we’re located, I think it’s an excellent location for that,” he said. It’s also convenient for people coming from points west, he noted.

“We’re very happy with the response and feedback that we’ve been getting here,”  he said. “Everyone that’s come into the store has been happy with it — the design, the layout and the customer service, which is most important,” Reda said.

Personal service is very important to the company, he said. “Customers won’t just be a number. I want to try and build relationships with everyone that comes in and, you know, hopefully the bud tenders know what they like, know what they’re looking for, so it’s easier to make recommendations,” he said. “I don’t want it to be just, like, you get in line and you’re another customer. I want it to be a more personal experience.”

Reda said Beleaf is seeing a lot of the medical patients from Columbia Care coming in. “We’re going to try and cater to them,” he said. Those customers tend to be looking for topicals and products for pain relief, he said.

“What is important to us as a brand is, if we don’t have something in inventory, or we don’t have something a customer is looking for specifically, I want to be able to get it in house and be able to service and offer products for every customer’s specific needs,” he said.

There’s an exciting variety of products on the market, Reda said. In addition to flower, pre-roll, vapes and cartridges, Beleaf offers an assortment of edibles, including teas and other beverages, as well as tinctures and topicals.

Opening a store in Calverton is like coming home, Reda said. Beleaf’s three owners grew up on Long Island and he and another partner grew up in East Moriches, he said. “So it’s really nice to be doing something out east.”

Reda said being able to give back to the community is “near and dear” to the owners. “We’re trying to find the correct fit for us” to support local community organizations, he said. “Whether it’s a local animal shelter or local housing or a food pantry, or a church, we’re looking to set stuff up on a quarterly basis. We’re doing the same thing in Brooklyn to kind of give back to the community, donate a portion of the proceeds, and also have donation bins out in the store for customers if they feel the need or willing to donate to the specific cause that we’re working with for that quarter.”

Reda stressed his appreciation for the Town of Riverhead “for going above and beyond and making the process as smooth as possible.” He said town officials processing their applications “went out of their way to try and help us correct things as quickly and easily as possible.”

Beleaf Calverton, is open seven days a week: Sunday from 12 noon to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

It offers online ordering for express pickup at in-store kiosks, and it plans to launch a delivery service in the near future, Reda said. 

Reda said the My Country 96.1 “ticket blitz” Saturday will include ticket giveaways to these events: 

• Kip Moore -Dec. 12 at Webster Hall, NYC
• Brett Eldredge – Dec. 12 at Beacon Theatre, NYC
• Cody Johnson – Jan.  17 at Prudential Center, Newark
• Kelsea Ballerini – Feb. 18 at Prudential Center, Newark
• Blake Shelton – March 6 at Prudential Center, Newark
• Dylan Scott – April 5 at Terminal 5, NYC

The radio station will also give away 12 pairs of tickets to the My Country 96.1 Secret Holiday Show at Mulcahy’s in Wantagh.

“It’s exciting,” Reda said. “We’re off to a great start and look forward to continuing to grow.”

The town’s second recreational cannabis dispensary, which previously scheduled, then postponed, a Nov. 29 grand opening event, will also celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, a company spokesperson said today. Strain Stars, which already operates a dispensary in Farmingdale, will open its doors on Route 58 Saturday. A firm time for the ceremonial ribbon-cutting has not yet been finalized, the spokesperson said, but it will likely take place at 11 a.m. or 12 noon.