High design, higher sales: How KAI builds cannabis community online and in-store

About KAI

KAI Dispensary is a cannabis retailer built for Western Colorado's adventurers. Founded by Joey Coleman in Grand Junction, Colorado, KAI opened in 2024 as a family-owned, single-location shop with big ambitions.

Joey, a former tennis pro turned cannabis entrepreneur, envisioned a place that redefined the dispensary experience for both tourists and locals.

"Kai means the sea in Hawaiian," Joey explains. "I broke my spine in 2017 and had to relearn to walk. The first place I felt like myself was when I was in the sea. When I was in the water, I was weightless. I wasn't in pain. When I left the hospital, they just had tons of opiates for me. That led me to cannabis."

KAI stands out for its intentional design, serene courtyard, and an experience more akin to a boutique cafe than a typical Colorado cannabis shop. Customers can sit down at the bar, browse artful product displays, and engage with knowledgeable budtenders.

The store has quickly become a community hub for hikers, cyclists, and wellness-minded consumers across the Western slope.

Elevating ecommerce with Flowhub

From the start, KAI treated digital as an extension of the in-store brand. "Every step of the physical design was intentional," Joey says. "We didn’t do all that to then have a sloppy online presence."

Flowhub Ecommerce powers KAI's fully integrated online menu.

The result? A beautiful, easy-to-navigate shopping experience that mirrors the store's vibe.

Product imagery, branded banners, and curated collections give customers a visual preview of what to expect in store.

"The design was the easiest setup I’ve ever worked with. I make some banners, we upload a lot of photos, it’s so easy to use," Joey says. "The design looks great."

Behind the scenes, Flowhub keeps things seamless for the team.

"We're about 60% walk-in and 40% online order now, which is huge since we’re still pretty new," Joey shares. “When we first launched, we were waiting for that ding, and now we hear the iPads ding, and it's exciting.”

Upselling happens naturally, too. Budtenders use Flowhub to suggest complementary products during order pickup.

"When we read the order back, we always ask if they want anything else or mention deals they might not have seen online. More often than not, it gets that ticket average higher," says Cynthia Zurek, Assistant Manager at KAI.

Point of sale, reimagined

As part of KAI’s design, they don’t have a traditional checkout counter. Instead, staff float the sales floor with tablets, creating a modern, low-pressure experience with a lot of flexibility. Flowhub's iPad-friendly interface supports this vision.

Not only does this reinforce the design of the store, but the experience as well. Having a bar area to sit, or the ability to wander the store, allows customers to create the type of purchase experience they want.

For those looking for a quick transaction, they can be in and out seamlessly. For those looking to get to know their budtender, or learn about products, the experience isn’t rushed.

Inventory without the headaches

Managing inventory can make or break a new shop. KAI receives up to five deliveries a day, and with frequent menu rotations, intake speed and accuracy are critical. Flowhub's manifest tools simplify this process.

"One of the early really important things for us was intake. I couldn't work with a POS provider that was going to make intake a nightmare for me,” Joey says. “The intake process with Flowhub is fantastic. That little progress bar while receiving products? My staff loves it. It saves us hours."

"Stash is like my best friend,” adds Cynthia. “I can just scan the Metrc tag, and it's smooth sailing compared to typing in the last four."

Data that drives decisions

Both Joey and Cynthia also love the visibility Flowhub Analytics provides.

"I geek out on analytics," Joey laughs. "I track customer retention, new customers, sales per vendor, average sales … It’s like, dummy proof."

Cynthia relies on daily and monthly sales reports to coach her team and to manage the flow of products. "We look at ticket averages, deal performance, and brand sales. I also look at the deal usage." she says.

They've also used Flowhub View, the mobile companion app, to check stats on the go—even while out mountain biking.

A true partnership

More than a technology platform, Joey sees Flowhub as a long-term growth partner. "I could have the nicest budtenders and the most beautiful building, but if the POS is a mess, it ruins the experience. Flowhub just works."

Support has been responsive and hands-on. "Anytime I need something tweaked on the online menu, I message Flowhub and see in real time, or in a day or two, which has been shocking to me," he says.

As KAI continues to grow, Joey's vision remains focused: Build the best cannabis retail experience in the country, starting with one great Western Slope store that is a key part of the community.

“It doesn't have to have the most sales,” he says. “I want it to be the best cannabis experience that somebody can have.”

Flowhub helps facilitate that. “When I need help or when I don't know something because I'm a new store, I reach out to Flowhub. They help me overcome that,” reflects Joey.

Thank you to Joey, Cynthia, and the whole team at KAI for choosing Flowhub to power your dispensary and bring your vision to life. Save us a seat at that bar!