7 minute read
TOP SHELF HERBS OF ALASKA
Top Shelf Herbs of Alaska co-owners (L-R) Carrie Leimbach, Chism Leimbach and Mark Fazio.
TOP SHELF HERBS OF ALASKA 901 Photo Ave Suite A, Anchorage (907) 222-2488 topshelfherbsofalaska.com Open daily 8am - midnight
WALKING INTO the newly open Top Shelf Herbs of Alaska in Anchorage, the first thing you'll notice isn't the loud Cannabis themed wallpaper or Cheech and Chong's strategically placed busts. It's the booming voices of coowners Chism Leimbach and Mark Fazio. Akin to the shop's mascots, Leimbach and Fazio represent two sides of the same coin - as much dissimilar as they are similar.
Tough-talking Fazio grew up in Chicago, working in construction and concrete. When his business and the economy went belly-up in 2008, he temporarily relocated to Boston while plotting his next move. "I stayed with my brother in Boston. He's one of those guys who went to Cambridge and has perfect penmanship. We had the same mother and different fathers," Fazio explained with a shrug.
By 2009, Fazio had his fill of the ritzy life and he packed his bags for Nome, Alaska, where he hoped he could leverage his knowledge of construction into a gold mining job on the Bering Sea. His gamble paid off unexpectedly in 2013, when working as a deckhand on a dredge named Anchor Management, Fazio was featured on Discovery Channel's hit reality show "Bering Sea Gold." But 15-minutes of fame was only one benefit of his appearance on the show, as he also connected with his future business partner.
A new arrival to Nome in 2014, Leimbach brought with him 20 years of experience cultivating Cannabis in his native New Orleans. He carried a dream of one day owning his own dispensary. After a somewhat rocky first meeting, Fazio and Leimbach quickly connected over their shared love of Cannabis. "Chism [Leimbach] had actually begged me for an ounce of weed, but I told him I didn't front anyone, so he came back with the money and we ended up getting along pretty well. In Nome, white boys get together through a little bit of weed," laughed Fazio.
For the next four years, the duo made extra money on the side selling Cannabis before the town's first dispensary, Gudlief LLC., opened in 2018. "We both played some cat mouse with the state police. I used to front him pounds and he'd sell for me. Then we got legitimate," Fazio explained with a chuckle.
Leimbach began working at Gudlief LLC when it opened, but after being passed over for a promotion, he decided it was time to set out on his own. After agreeing to go into business together, Leimbach and Fazio weighed the costs and benefits of opening a rival dispensary in Nome. With two dispensaries vying for business from Nome's 3,800-person population, Leimbach and Fazio decided to try their hand in the saturated Anchorage market. But mining had taken its toll on their savings, and the duo was forced to seek out a third partner. "Honestly, we lost a lot of money in mining. So much that we could have opened the store twice with what we lost," said Fazio. With a third partner secured, Leimbach and Fazio found a building in Anchorage in May 2019 and submitted their letter of intent in June. Everything looked to be going smoothly, but just as the partners prepared to submit their operating agreement to AMCO last October, their third partner decided to pull out. "It was a major blow because my wife and I had sold everything we owned to be able to move to Anchorage and invest in opening the shop," explained Leimbach. Financially hurting, Leimbach and Fazio decided that they were too far along in the process to call it quits, so they pressed on. "You know, Mark and I got into a lot of mining adventures together and went through a lot of hard times, so we kind of felt like we deserved to help each other out," said Leimbach.
Their fortitude paid off as they officially opened their doors on July 18, 2020. While they are still working on honing in on their customer base, they have been able to stock their store with 21 different strains and products from Smokin' Joe, Will's World, Frontier Farms, Baked Alaska and Aurora Blaze. Leimbach and Fazio are hopeful that the combination of their prime location near the corner of Spenard and their quality products will be the difference that makes Top Shelf Herbs of Alaska stand out. "We went through hell to get here, but now we're hitting it," said Fazio with a grin.
REVIEW & PHOTOS by O'HARA SHIPE @SHIPESHOTS/ALASKA LEAF
CATALYST
CANNABIS
CO. EASTSIDE
After opening its first location in South Anchorage in 2015, Catalyst Cannabis Co. has expanded to a second location in Muldoon. The store officially opened its doors on June 27, 2020 - just days before the PFD dropped - and it has been going gangbusters ever since. But the store’s success is not a surprise to owner Will Schneider, who never goes into a business venture without doing his homework. When it came to the Muldoon location, Schneider poured over the demographics of the area to craft a unique shop that would suit the diverse neighborhood. 5/5 Catalyst’s Muldoon location is well-stocked with edibles, vape pens, concentrates and flowers, not to mention carefully curated branded swag. The shop’s edible case is an impressive blend of indica and sativa goodies from Lady Gray, MoMo’s Bakery, Baked Alaska, Good AK and Stoney Moose Kitchen, to name a few. If flowers are more your speed, Catalyst has a diverse menu of 22 indica, sativa and hybrid strains. Catalyst also carries a variety of topicals from Gron, Social and The Fay Farm for those looking for CBD.
BUDTENDERS
4/5 To meet demand, Catalyst Cannabis Co. hired a team of 17 budtenders, 15 of which were new to the industry when the store opened. However, don’t mistake their novelty for inexperience. Schneider puts all new budtenders through the paces of an extensive curriculum that encompasses all of the store’s products and paraphernalia. New budtenders are also required to shadow an experienced budtender before beginning their first shift. The result is a communicative and collaborative team of budtenders who aren’t afraid to consult with each other to ensure the customer purchases a product that best suits their needs.
ENVIRONMENT & VIBE
4/5 With sleek dark gray siding and large warehouse windows, Catalyst’s building stands out among the ‘70s era housing surrounding it. Upon entering the building, patrons are welcomed by a muted mural, stainless steel finishes and high-top wooden tables. Unlike Catalyst’s Southside location, which features an open floorplan, the Muldoon shop requires patrons to be escorted to the back by a budtender. The system both adds an extra level of security and enables patrons to work one-on-one with their budtender. The industrial theme carries into the main shop area with concrete floors, refurbished wooden accents, and a custom mural by Anchorage’s Rejoy Armamento. The minimalist approach likely won’t be your cup of tea if you prefer bright, open spaces, but it definitely appeals to the 20-somethings who are the store’s primary demographic.
HISTORY
5/5 It’s no secret that Muldoon has a bad reputation among Anchorage residents. But where some see a lost cause, Schneider sees an opportunity for growth. With this in mind, Schneider opted to construct a new building rather than renovate a neglected one. The new building stands as a beautiful homage to Anchorage’s industrial roots and represents a dream for what Muldoon could, and in Schneider’s opinion, should be.
willsworld_ak@outlook.com @ wills_world_extracts
THE DIFFERENCE IS CLEAR
Creamy
