Small Business Showcase: Affinity Dispensary

Each month, we profile a Connecticut small business, showcasing the ingenuity and innovation driving the state’s economy. For February, we spoke with Affinity Dispensary manager Ray Pantalena.

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When was your company founded?

2018

How many employees work for your company?

38

Who are your customers?

Connecticut residents over the age of 21.

What makes your company unique?

We are one of the only two remaining Connecticut-owned and operated cannabis dispensaries in the state. Locally owned and operated definitely makes a difference.

What is a fun fact about your business or its history?

Cannabis is a new industry for Connecticut. All the employees say it’s one of the best places to work.

Why did you choose Connecticut?

Connecticut provides an excellent workforce to draw from and a robust transportation infrastructure.

What is the greatest advantage to operating in Connecticut?

Connecticut is small enough where we can be nimble and large enough for us to scale up.

How do you try to give back to your community? 

We feel fortunate to have enough success where we can donate to local Connecticut based organizations.  

We work very hard to ensure we hire from the surrounding areas where we are located and give back to the community.

Where do you see your company in five years? Ten years?

We are currently expanding our operation to include a new cannabis micro-cultivator and new retail locations which will be open and operational in 2023 and plan to open one new retail location each year.

What is the main thing policymakers could implement to make your company more competitive?

We hope policymakers in Hartford continue to be thoughtful to oversee this new industry to ensure its growth and success for both the state and all of its stakeholders.