Far & Dotter is offering a chance to own a piece of the growing cannabis industry. The Maryland-based dispensary chain is expanding its patient-focused wellness centers, across the country, giving prospective entrepreneurs the tools to thrive in this rapidly growing industry.  These stores deliver a curated experience with an emphasis on wellness and generational advancement devoted to empowering local entrepreneurs and providing products and services that enhance quality of life.

While anyone from a qualified state is eligible to apply to be a franchisee – women, minorities, and disabled veterans may also apply for start-up capital through the Curio Wellness Investment Fund to secure funds needed to open their own franchise location. Announced November 2020, the Fund aims to strengthen diversity and inclusion in the cannabis industry and is designed to support up to fifty applicants, providing them with capital needed to open a franchise.

Their model seeks to enhance the probability of success for licensees. Far & Dotter franchisees receive operational support from a proven cannabis brand and experienced leadership team.

Wendy Bronfein, Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer at Far & Dotter, told Cannabis Business Times that she sees an opportunity to create an inclusive franchise model that can “empower diverse entrepreneurs and serve communities on a broader scale.”

“We envision our stores as trusted neighborhood wellness centers that provide personalized care and education and demystify the cannabis landscape,” she said. “It’s deeply rewarding to create a brand that is not only beautiful but also fundamentally rooted in improving people’s lives.”

A Family Business

Bronfein co-founded Far & Dotter with father, Michael Bronfein (the term “Far & Dotter” is Swedish for “father and daughter”). The two first started with Curio Wellness, a Maryland-based operator that became licensed in 2016 to cultivate, process and dispense cannabis. In 2021, they launched the Far & Dotter dispensary franchise business. The franchise is focusing expansion efforts on states throughout the U.S in both medical and adult use programs.

Bronfein, a graduate from the New York University Stern School of Business, worked in television before co-founding Curio Wellness and Far & Dotter. She told Cannabis Business Times her original goal was to run a network, but after finishing her MBA, she wanted to try something different. While she met some initial resistance, she and her father, a longtime healthcare executive, agreed on the therapeutic value of cannabis. They eventually launched Curio Wellness, now the market leading cannabis licensee in Maryland.

A Need for Diversity

As they achieved success with Curio Wellness, the two also recognized the need for more diverse business owners in the cannabis industry. They formed the Curio Wellness Investment Fund to help minority owners open cannabis franchises.

“As a member of the greater cannabis industry, it became clear that women and BIPOC individuals are grossly underrepresented in the cannabis industry. This is what really pushed us to do and be more,” Bronfein told Cannabis Business Times.

For women, BIPOC, and disabled veteran candidates, who qualify, The Curio Wellness Investment Fund provides capital for the initial investment to open a Far & Dotter franchise and then allows the owner to repay that investment using cash flow from the business. It’s an arrangement that allows those without huge amounts of investment capital to enter the cannabis industry. Far & Dotter will also provide application assistance for owners who begin the process pre-license award.

Benefits of Far & Dotter Franchise Dispensaries

One of the biggest benefits of a Far & Dotter franchise is the brand itself. The vision for Far & Dotter involves becoming a trusted member of the local community where they operate. The brand is rooted in the idea of helping people improve their lives, running dispensaries that operate as wellness centers offering personalized care.

Franchise owners also receive a great deal of practical support as they launch their dispensary.

• Training support operations. Far & Dotter offers franchise training on point of sale and state systems; inventory and cash management; performance management; a 90-day onboarding program and more.
• Cannabis education. Franchise owners learn about the endocannabinoid system, terpenes and their effects, plant anatomy as well as cannabis and the human body.
• Owners receive training on state-specific regulations, mandatory reporting, and the state inspection process.
• Elevated patient experience. Franchise owners learn strategies on how to build patient loyalty, suggestive sales building and hiring a highly educated staff.

Far & Dotter is offering those who aspire to business ownership an unprecedented opportunity to fulfill their goals. It’s a rare opportunity to join a successful brand at a time of rapid growth in the U.S. cannabis industry.