EAST VILLAGE — The Fifty/50 restaurant group — the team behind Roots Handmade Pizza and West Town Bakery — will present its plans for a recreational cannabis dispensary during a community meeting next week.
The group will present at 7 p.m. Monday at Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave., during the East Village Association’s monthly meeting.
Fifty/50 co-founder and co-owner Scott Weiner told Block Club in August his group is partnering with former 47th Ward Ald. Ameya Pawar on what would be a cannabis restaurant, wellness spa and medical clinic.
RELATED: Weed-Infused Spa And Restaurant From Former Alderman And Fifty/50 Crew Coming To West Town
Weiner said the joint venture will exist somewhere in West Town, but he couldn’t specify where.
He did say it’s an idea that will holistically blend cannabis-based medical care, spa offerings and, of course, food.
“I’m aware it’s still somewhat polarizing to some people,” he said of cannabis use. “This isn’t some stuff coming from the black market that just gets ya high. I don’t want to feel high. I wanna feel like I just had a really incredible dining experience, where I was connected to the food and connected to the people in a different way.”
The Fifty/50 team isn’t the first to pitch a cannabis dispensary in the area.
Earlier this month, the team behind Emporium Arcade Bar in Wicker Park and Modern Cannabis, a medicinal dispensary in Logan Square, pitched their plan for a recreational dispensary in Wicker Park to neighborhood leaders.
The Fifty/50 group manages several restaurants and bars throughout Chicago, but neighbors are most likely to recognize the following West Town staples:
- Roots Handmade Pizza, 1924 W. Chicago Ave.
- West Town Bakery and Diner, 1916 W. Chicago Ave.
- The Fifty/50, 2047 W. Division St.
Owners Greg Mohr and Scott Weiner opened Roots in May 2011.
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