Al Harrington Bringing Village Dispensary to Home of New Jersey
A former NBA star with Jersey roots is the latest business owner to open a cannabis dispensary in Hudson County. Village Hoboken, which opened this past weekend at 516 Washington Street, is owned by Al Harrington, an Orange native and a 16-season NBA veteran. His company, Viola Brands, has sold its products in other dispensaries in the state, and this new business also sells Viola products. The NBA veteran was spotted at Village Hoboken on Wednesday, May 29th, and the new cannabis dispensary made its debut on Washington Street on Saturday, September 21st following a ribbon cutting held on Friday, September 20th.
Village Hoboken
The space at 516 Washington Street was formerly home to PhoNomenon restaurant. The team behind Viola has been working since early 2022 to get permits and approvals in place. The Hoboken Girl chatted with Jamil Taylor, the Chief Operating Officer for Village Brands, back in April. “We’re really excited to be in Hoboken,” Jamil said. “The diversity of the community, all the exciting things happening with retail, we want to be a part of it. Since one of our founders, Al Harrington, is from New Jersey, it’s great to put down roots there.”
“We want to be good stewards of our license, we want to be in Hoboken for a long time,” Jamil continued. “We want to do things the right way. Hoboken is one of those iconic New Jersey towns, with wide sidewalks and people out and about. We want to be like any other business on Washington Street.”
As far as choosing Hoboken, Jamil said that the brand’s ethos made the city a perfect match. “We’re called The Village because we want to bring together a variety of people and brands. Hoboken’s diversity reflects this,” he said. In addition to Viola brand products, Village Hoboken sells products selected by the team. “We will be focused on the best products. Our buyers go in and view the facility, talk to owners, make sure the product represents what we’re trying to do,” Jamil said. “At the same time, we want a diversity of products and to make sure clients get the best product possible. ”
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