Times Square is known for bright lights, tourist attractions and the surrounding bustling theater scene. However, a new cannabis store is bringing a little serenity to those who are shopping in the notoriously busy neighborhood.
Nestled away on 7th Avenue you’ll find Charlie Fox, a luxury cannabis store that aims to bring more hospitality to the cannabis industry. The shop first opened in December 2024 by a team who are well versed in the hospitality space.
“We were initially brought on because of our experience in hospitality and it seemed like there were a lot of similarities,” said Charlie Fox partner Kylie Monagan.
When you first step into Charlie Fox, the first thing you notice is how unlike Times Square it is inside. Instead of neon lights and costumed characters, Charlie Fox greets you with a comfy, lowkey environment, surrounding guests with pinks, browns and oranges that quickly make you forget how busy it is outside.
The first floor allows customers to grab and go shop Charlie Fox’s products, all available through a touch-screen kiosk with little to no further steps. The second floor is where you’ll find Charlie Fox’s seasoned cannabis sommeliers who can walk you through the various products that the store offers.
Customers also have the option to reserve a table on the second floor to get a more curated shopping experience with the cannabis sommeliers.
“We’re bringing in a hospitable touch to every part of the store and changing the way that people interact with the products and the shopping experience overall because, for us, it was a bit nerve-wracking to walk into a store and explain what you want,” said Monagan. “We felt like what was out there was just a bit intimidating, so we just tried to make it really comfortable and easy and just feel really great from the guests’ perspective.”
Aside from typical brands you may find in a cannabis dispensary, Charlie Fox boasts a house line of premium cannabis products made from natural ingredients and sourced from New York growers. The products are available in four different moods with varying levels of THC: Creative (Sativa-dominant hybrid), Social (Sativa-dominant hybrid), Relax (Indica-dominant hybrid) and Sleep (Indica).
Each mood is available as prerolls, flower, vaporizers and gummies. Though you can’t smoke on the premises, there are plain, uninfused gummies that customers can try to see if they like the flavor.
“I would say what’s sort of been the hero products are the gummies. They’re low dose, 4 mg per gummy. We were trying a bunch of different products out there and we felt like this was important, given our demographic,” said Monagan. “There’s 25 in a box, so it’s actually you’re getting quite a lot. The consistency of the product was important, the color, the flavor, and also the ingredients being super premium; no corn syrup, they’re vegan, pectin-based and no corn starch, made with organic sugar and a premium fruit puree. So that was all really important to us as we were crafting them.”
Charlie Fox also has its own line of branded merchandise, including hats, sweatshirts, t-shirts, socks and lighters that also fit the brand’s cozy and accessible vibes. The store has also hosted a number of different kinds of events on site, including infused hot chocolate nights, and hot cider and donut mixers to engage the community with.
“We didn’t want to just open another dispensary in New York City. We wanted to bring something to the table that felt like it was adding to the conversation and was just really different from any other experience,” said Monagan.
This summer, Charlie Fox plans on expanding its presence beyond New York City by opening a new storefront in Southampton.
“Times Square is just such a good cross-section of New York and, frankly, the world, so that’s just like its own thing, but in the Hamptons, of course, there’s people that are out there to have fun,” said Monagan. “Everybody’s on vacation for the most part in the summer, and then we have regulars and friends that live out east full time. I think it’s just a really underserved market because of the way that Long Island has rolled out their cannabis allowance.”
Beyond its expansion out east, the Charlie Fox brand is hoping to expand its delivery services while improving upon its offerings to its clientele.
“I think expansion with brick and mortar and also with delivery would be our goals. We would also like to work on a more premium, one-off house brand offering, so something that is seasonal or something, but just kind of continuing to refine our in-house offerings to specific applications and uses,” said Monagan.
Charlie Fox is located at 719 7th Ave. and is open daily from 9 a.m. to midnight. For more information, visit shopcharliefox.com.
