We were lucky to catch up with Lauren Fontein recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lauren, appreciate you joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

We envisioned the concept for The Artist Tree when we were applying for retail and lounge licenses in the city of West Hollywood. Since we’d been working in the cannabis industry for so long, we really wanted to create something that broke the mold – something new and unique that would stand out amongst Los Angeles’s hundreds of pot shops. We also wanted to create a space that would be inviting to a wide variety of customers – a place where newbies would feel comfortable, while also catering to hard core stoners. We imagined an art-focused concept with stores that looked and felt like art galleries. We engaged a prominent retail design firm, Retail Design Collaborative (RDC), to come up with the interior design concept based on our vision.

After a couple months, RDC delivered an innovative design that featured creative artwork displays amidst minimalistic, yet elegant custom millwork. RDC also envisioned a glass cannabis clone room to display live cannabis plants as a focal point to the retail showroom. We created building plans, built out the space, and delivered on our vision of building a one-of-a-kind cannabis destination, with art at its core.

Since our initial store in West Hollywood, we’ve built out 7 other Artist Tree locations, with more on the way. Our newest store in El Sobrante, outside Oakland, will open next month.

In 2022, we created one of the only consumption lounge spaces in the US in West Hollywood, The Studio Lounge. Like our retail stores, the lounge highlights local artists, featuring art exhibits and a variety of performances from local musicians, comics, drag queens, burlesque performers, and more. We also host interactive events, like Puff Puff Paint classes, infused “high” teas, and yoga. Visitors can enjoy a full menu of food, canna-cocktails, coffee and desserts served tableside while consuming any of our 700+ cannabis products. We offer novel stoner experiences, such as Stundenglass gravity bongs, cannabis hookah devices and smoked cocktails. The lounge was a particularly challenging, yet exciting project, because we couldn’t model it off of any existing businesses. We brainstormed about what we thought would work, tried different models for revenue, food sales, and entertainment, and continue to refine the concept as we go.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a long-time cannabis lover who began her career as a corporate attorney in downtown LA. Big law wasn’t for me, and I forged a path toward opening a bakery. While working on plans to rent out a space and operate a cookies & milk concept, my boyfriend’s brother approached me and asked if I wanted to make edibles for his dispensary. Why not? So I entered the cannabis industry and followed a very winding path toward owning high-end cannabis stores.

I am very proud of The Artist Tree breaking the mold and creating a concept that really resonates with the community. Art is a form of expression and connects us emotionally – people feel something when they enter our store and see the captivating artwork. It really enhances the shopping experience and ties so beautifully with cannabis culture.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think our concept is genuine and backed by substance. We work with a talented and diverse art curation team, led by K. Ryan Henisey, to bring a dynamic mix of prestigious artists and up-and-comers that would fit in in any serious LA art gallery.

We cultivate a customer service culture based on mutual respect, understanding and education. We strive to make all customers feel welcome and supported in their journey toward selecting the perfect cannabis products. We love what we do, and we celebrate local artists as beacons of our community.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

After working in a big law firm for 18 months, I knew it wasn’t for me and desperately wanted out. It was late 2008 and the economy was tanking. Rumors of layoffs floated through the office, and ultimately, my law firm did a large layoff in early 2009 and I was let go. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. The severance payment allowed me to pay off a lot of my student loans. Then I focused on transitioning to a baking career, took a professional baking course and inadvertently launched an edible company.

It was kismet that I ended up in the cannabis industry. Always a cannabis supporter, I was able to use my professional skills, including a lot of legal work in connection with all our licensing, in an industry that is truly one-of-a-kind, with a laid back and loyal culture that fosters a strong sense of community and understanding.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theartisttree.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theartisttree/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-fontein-a94aa6b7