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Imagine my surprise when I got word that the cannabis dispensary storefront at the Darcie Kent Estate Winery property in the Livermore Valley was fully occupied … and had a new name.
Like many of you, I saw the chatter on social media weeks ago about the prior Garden of Eden-branded dispensary in Livermore (allegedly) being closed with little explanation.
Turns out there’s a pretty succinct story behind how Livermore’s lone marijuana shop became The Highlands Boutique Dispensary – and it has a lot to do with the vision for creating the model for reinvigorating agritourism in the state.
“California is known for weed and wine,” said Mark McMillan, who manages the dispensary plus the wine lounge and other operations at Kent. “We’re a unique spot in California, and in many respects should be a roadmap.”
The winery’s owners opened the dispensary in fall 2022, and it’s been “very, very well received by the community,” McMillan told me on Tuesday, noting there has been “great relief” among cannabis customers in the Tri-Valley that now “there is a place where they don’t have to drive over the hill.”
For most of those first two years, the pot shop was operated by Garden of Eden via a management contract. The regional retailer is best known for its dispensary in Hayward, with other expansion plans on its radar – although those have changed too.
As 2024 progressed, the Kent family wanted to go in a different direction with the popular dispensary and delivery business based at the Tesla Road property.
“What’s transpired is ownership has not changed at all,” McMillan said. “The Kents decided they wanted to manage it directly … The store did not close, not one hour.”
They turned the page without interruption, according to McMillan. Garden of Eden one day and the next (June 1) The Highlands was born.
Of the changes rolled out in late spring, co-owner David Kent told me on Wednesday, “We rebranded the store simply as Highlands to better reflect our location in the Mt. Diablo Highlands, our Tri-Valley service area, and our independence from any cookie-cutter chain operation.”
“Since the transition, many prices have been lowered and the selection of brands and products has been expanded,” Kent added. “The in-store staff of highly qualified bud-tenders — many of whom are local residents — was retained and consumer loyalty and educational programs were refreshed. A few non-locals have since left and we are actively hiring.”
I reached out to the Garden of Eden folks, actually a few weeks ago, to get their side of the story because talk in local social media circles seemed to paint a different picture about their Livermore exit. After all, at that time their website still listed the Livermore store as theirs and open as usual.
They never responded, but I did notice that shortly after I emailed them on June 23, the Garden of Eden homepage was updated to include a pop-up note:
“As of 05/31/2024 Garden of Eden will no longer be associated with the Livermore location. We understand that change can be unexpected, and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We thank you for your continued support and understanding as we navigate this transition. We look forward to continuing to serve you as our valued customer!”
I also could no longer find a reference to the planned Sunol store Garden of Eden had touted on its website — but it did mention a new cannabis shop on track to open in Tracy this year.
Turning over a new leaf as of June, the Livermore dispensary’s rebrand into The Highlands is now complete.
“Fundamentally the operation is similar, but there were some changes,” McMillan said, noting that the decor and signage were obviously updated and about 40% of the menu was altered but the layout and most of the staff remained the same.
I checked out Highlands briefly when I went to Darcie Kent for Shakespeare in the Vineyard with my wife on July 20 — which also happened to be the day the venue hosted a celebration for the dispensary rebrand.
Aside: “Twelfth Night” under the stars that evening was fun, but you have to pay attention with all of the dual identities for the quick-witted characters and the dual roles for the actors. SPARC Theater moves its production to Danville’s Village Theatre starting this Friday; the cast, crew and set are pretty much all the same, except the balcony scenes will be adjusted a bit because of the lower roof at the venue – so the actors won’t be as high indoors.
Inside Highlands and around that part of the property I could see the results of the refresh. I could also buy what McMillan would later try to sell in terms of the opportunities to leverage the beautiful scenery of wine country with another agriculture-centered business.
While they’re under the impression it’s the only dispensary on a working vineyard in California, McMillan was careful to clarify that the owners and managers are diligent about keeping the operations separate. And Highlands does not have a license to allow cannabis consumption onsite.
The prospects for the future excite the Kents, according to McMillan. For now, the focus is on cementing the new brand “to create a shopping experience which is geared toward educating people and giving them plenty of time and space to ask questions.”
Editor’s note: Jeremy Walsh is the editorial director for the Embarcadero Media Foundation’s East Bay Division. His “What a Week” column is a recurring feature in the Pleasanton Weekly, Livermore Vine and DanvilleSanRamon.com.
