By Garrett Rudolph
OKANOGAN, Wash. — Teresa Tindoll may have coined a new phrase to describe the interior design of her small, rural marijuana retail store: “whimsical farm shed.”
The motif of Caribou Corner Cannabis fits perfectly with the agricultural region of North-Central Washington, which features not just some of the world’s most prolific fruit farms, but also includes 23 active, licensed cannabis producers.
Meanwhile, Caribou Corner Cannabis is one of just two retail stores open in Okanogan County — the largest county in the state, geographically (the other is Fresh Greens in Winthrop) — so Tindoll’s customers come from all around, including a fair number of visitors from Canada.
It was part of the group of 24 stores in the state that were the first to receive retail licenses, and Tindoll said it’s hard to believe that was more than nine months ago.
“It’s been like a fast-moving freight train,” she said. “It’s been fun and a learning experience. Most people that come in are so happy and excited that they can buy marijuana legally and without the stigma.”
Caribou Corner faces several challenges of being located in a remote part of the state.
Many customers have to travel 45 minutes or more — often through inclement weather in the winter — to reach the store, so Tindoll relies on social media to keep shoppers abreast of inventory changes.
“We try to keep communication with those folks, so they can call ahead before they lock in the four-wheel drive and come on down,” she said.
The store also operates with possibly the smallest staff of any marijuana retail store. Tindoll, her son and one part-time employee run the entire operation.
“Probably the biggest challenge is just having to wear so many different hats, and there are so many moving pieces and changes that all need to be paid attention to equally,” Tindoll said.
Prior to opening Caribou Corner, Tindoll had been part of the “corporate crash,” she said, after having worked in the insurance industry as a national corporate sales trainer. She was unemployed for four years, but it gave her time to take care of her grandson, while her son was deployed in Afghanistan.
When the Washington State Liquor Control Board began accepting applications for marijuana business licenses, she saw it as an opportunity she couldn’t ignore.
“We’re the American Dream, really when you think about how we were able to do this,” she said.