Brotherly Bud, a cannabis dispensary owned and operated by two brothers, is setting up shop in South Jersey.

Founded by William Sirois and Matthew Sirois, the newly opened Mount Ephraim dispensary seeks to differentiate itself from multistate operators by offering customers a personalized shopping experience guided by knowledgeable staff.

Located at 500 N. Blackhorse Pike, the store offers a selection of premium cannabis products at competitive prices. Its offerings include cannabis strains, pre-rolls, edibles, concentrates, topicals and accessories that cater to both seasoned enthusiasts and newcomers alike.

Following a June 20 soft opening, Brotherly Bud is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. According to Matthew Sirois, a grand opening celebration will take place sometime this summer.

Coast-to-coast influence

He told NJBIZ, “It has been a really long time since we decided to get into this business. In 2017-2018, Will moved back to Philly from California where he was exposed to the cannabis industry. We talked about trying to get into the medical expansion that New Jersey was doing at the time, but were unsuccessful.”

“When New Jersey went recreational, we switched our focus and went all out on getting a license. The process of getting the conditional license, approval from the township, securing a building and eventually the conversion to annual license took over a year and a half,” Matthew Sirois said.

At several points, he said they were approach by MSOs that wanted to convince them running the venture solo would be too difficult.

“And, to take a deal that would result in us losing majority ownership of the business. Because we wanted to ensure this dispensary was representative of the South Jersey and Philly community and not operated by some massive MSO, we worked through each step and kept ownership in the family,” Matthew Sirois said.

Prior to Brotherly Bud, Matthew Sirois spent about five years working in finance and consulting, while William Sirois transitioned from a career in business to one as a singer/songwriter. Matthew Sirois said he didn’t know much about cannabis until his brother approached him with the idea to start their own business.

“Even then I learned more about the regulatory side of things before learning anything about the product itself,” Matthew Sirois said. “… We have put everything into this business and are really excited to finally be able to bring our dream to a reality. We have hired some really knowledgeable and friendly staff who have taught us and so many of our early customers a lot about cannabis.”

Local charm

Leading up to the launch, the brothers worked with local artists to come up with a design that expresses their love for the Philadelphia and South Jersey areas.

According to the dispensary, Glossback spray painted a mural, while Corey Danks built the Brotherly Bud sign in the front reception area. A goth heart piece is coming soon from Ambrella, too.

William Sirois said, “Our goal with Brotherly Bud is to create a welcoming environment where every customer, aside from Cowboys fans, feels valued and informed. We’ve carefully curated our offerings to ensure we have the best cannabis products at the best prices in the state.”

Matthew Sirois added, “We’re excited to introduce a new standard of service and quality to South Jersey. Brotherly Bud is more than just a dispensary; it’s a hub for community engagement, a place where people can enjoy themselves and somewhere where you’ll spend more time connecting with our budtenders than just standing in line.”

Brotherly Bud is the latest recreational cannabis store to open in close proximity to Philadelphia, which currently permits only medical marijuana dispensaries.