Original Cannabis Cafe, the first cannabis restaurant in the U.S., opened Oct. 1 in the Los Angeles area. It is the first of eight restaurants granted a license by the city of West Hollywood to allow cannabis consumption but does not allow cannabis-infused food on the menu.
Original Cannabis Cafe, West Hollywood, California
Being a pioneer was a challenge, says Mason Royal, Original Cannabis Cafe’s culinary director. “We were the first to do it and are just having to figure it out as we go,” Royal said. “There are new laws for us to abide by and new laws for the city of West Hollywood to enforce, so it is kind of a learning experience for everyone.”
Original Cannabis Cafe — open for lunch, dinner and late-night service — serves appetizers, small plates, sandwiches, salads and entrees. A separate “flower menu” features cannabis products, from those one can smoke to prepackaged edibles and concentrates. Royal has created a menu he describes as “elevated stoner food,” with dishes that can stand on their own or be paired with various types of cannabis. A flower server guides patrons through the cannabis menu, and they may roll loose flower themselves or use smoking devices provided by the restaurant.
Royal says the kitchen is much like that of any restaurant. “We are a cannabis-consumption café, so it makes the food-creation process pretty fun,” said Royal. “It is similar to how a chef would pair food with alcohol. We like to look at: How does the flavor profile of the food pair with the flavor profile of the cannabis? But we also consider the psychoactive effects of the cannabis strain — how does that pair with the flavor profile of the food? The fun thing is that cannabis consumption is very unique to each person, and different strains affect different people.”
By Ben Johnson
Contributor, Commerce + Communities Today
