Popular Bed-Stuy Wine Store Expands With New CBD Business

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — A new CBD store on Malcolm X Boulevard will have some familiar faces behind the counter for neighbors in Bed-Stuy.

The new wellness shop, called Happy Buds, was opened last weekend by the owners of popular Buffalo Avenue wine store Happy Cork, which joined the neighborhood in 2019.

Husband and wife duo Sunshine and Remo Foss say the new business is the realization of a longtime dream, and has been in the works for more than a year.

"I have long been a believer in the benefits of the cannabis plant and have been wanting to get into this business for many years," Sunshine told Patch. "...We knew we wanted to bring the community something fresh and new and wanted to stay within the Bed-Stuy area. There lies the Birth of Happy Buds."

Like Happy Cork, Happy Buds will feature minority and women-owned brands, this time in the world of cannabidiol.

The Foss' wine store became especially popular during the pandemic, when it was deemed an essential business and expanded to delivery and virtual tastings, including with celebrities like Mary J. Blige and John Legend, Sunshine said.

At Happy Buds, customers will find everything from CBD-infused macaroni and cheese and hot sauce to face serums and pipes or bongs, according to the couple.

"...We have broken the store up in several easy-to-shop areas, Sunshine said, describing "in the kitchen," beauty, edible and adaptogens sections of the store.

The Malcolm X storefront is outfitted with up-cycled materials to create a "beautiful space" for the wide selection of products, she added.

The duo found the spot — which sits between Hancock Street and Jefferson Avenue — a year ago and have spent time since then building it out, applying for the proper licenses and searching for the right assortment of products.

"I knew I wanted to focus on women owned and run brands, minority owned brands and also we try everything that comes into the store, so that gave us the opportunity to research and test product," Sunshine said. "We pride ourselves on being able to explain the product to customers in the right way and being able to test product allows us to give feedback based on our own findings."