Ayr Wellness Inc. is growing in more ways than one.

After undergoing an expansion, the Miami, Fla.-based multistate operator’s cannabis dispensary in Eatontown recently debuted a bigger and brighter retail space. Along with increased maximum occupancy, from 22 to 162 people, the store nearly tripled its point-of-sale stations to 23 systems.

The Main Street dispensary – which sells both medicinal and adult-use cannabis – stayed open during renovations since it took over an adjoining space as part of the project, a spokesperson said.

In a statement, Matt Truppo, vice president of retail at Ayr, said, “We’re excited to welcome customers and patients into Ayr Dispensary Eatontown’s brand-new space and experience. Our fully redesigned store features new, interactive product displays, including a ‘bud bar’ where our customers can smell the various strains available, and a significant expansion of store occupancy and point of sale stations to facilitate much faster wait times. We look forward to welcoming our loyal customers, as well as any new visitors into our new home.”

Within the Garden State, Ayr has retail locations in Woodbridge, Union and Eatontown, as well as cultivation and production facilities, making it one of the biggest players in the state’s cannabis market.

Over the past year, the MSO has moved to improve product quality, menus and in-store experiences across its six-state footprint. In December 2022, the company announced a rebrand of its three New Jersey stores, from Garden State Dispensary to Ayr Wellness. 

According to an Ayr spokesperson, “Ayr also did a full refresh of their Woodbridge location when they re-branded the store from Garden State Dispensary … But all of that remodeling happened within the same physical space, unlike Eatontown.”

The Eatontown revamp comes as more and more cannabis shops are overhauling their interiors as part of a push toward comfort and familiarity for adult-use customers and medical patients. Some redesigns aim to simplify and accelerate transactions, calling for the addition of tablet ordering stations, digital signage and menus, and designated areas for online orders, while other projects involve wholesale design changes to better reflect products.

In Florida, where Ayr recently acquired dozens of dispensaries, a major rebranding effort is underway that intends to align the stores under one banner, look and feel.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 2:58 p.m. ET July 21, 2023, to include a statement from Ayr.