What is a bud bar?
A bud bar is a sit-down consultation counter in a cannabis store where you can view and smell products before you buy. Ours is in Derby, toward the back of the showroom, and the Hartford Business Journal and NBC Connecticut reported it as Connecticut's first.
Part of the store, not a reservation
The name can make the bar sound like a table you reserve ahead of time. It is not.
If you like to look before you go, browse our live menu before you drive over.
Finding the store from Route 8
For your map app, the address is 90 Pershing Dr, Derby, CT 06418. Our store is in the former Italian Pavilion building, and our store page keeps the rest of the store details in one place.
Heading north on Route 8, take the ramp signed for Pershing Drive and Ansonia, and our Route 8 directions cover the rest of the drive in both directions.
Parking, the door and the hosts with iPads
Parking is free and on site. The Valley Independent Sentinel reported 90 parking spaces at the store in January 2025.
The store is about 3,000 square feet. Once you are through the door, our hosts with iPads help you browse the menu and order. If you already know what you want, you can start there. If you would rather see and smell a strain first, head toward the back.
Sitting down with a budtender
You and a budtender sit down one on one. You see and smell strains at the bar before you decide what to buy.
When you sit down, tell the budtender how you like to consume cannabis, whether that is flower, pre-rolls, vapes, edibles or drinks. If you want words for what you smell, read our guide to cannabis terpenes before you visit, and our guide to reading a Connecticut cannabis label covers the package you take home.
How the Bud Bar got approved
The bar came after the store opened. The Hartford Business Journal reported in March 2025 that our co-founder and CEO, David Salinas, negotiated with the Department of Consumer Protection for bud bar approval after the January opening.
NBC Connecticut reported in April 2025 that our store was the first in the state with a bud bar using U-shaped display cases. Products at the bar are locked in secure storage each night.
Our store has bright white shiplap, exposed brick and emerald green checkout tiles.
Questions shoppers ask about the bar
Which Hi! People store has the Bud Bar?
Our Derby store is the home of the bar, which sits toward the back of the showroom and needs no appointment. We plan the same experience for our New Haven store, which is coming soon, and our locations page covers every Hi! People store.
Do I need an appointment for the Bud Bar?
No. You can walk up to the Bud Bar with no appointment. It is a consultation area toward the back of our showroom, where you sit down one on one with a budtender, so you can come in on your own schedule and head to the back.
What happens when I sit down at the bar?
You sit down one on one with a budtender, and you can view and smell products kept in plastic containers before you decide what to buy. The Hartford Business Journal reported it as Connecticut's first bud bar, and NBC Connecticut reported our store was the first in the state with a bud bar using U-shaped display cases.
Is there parking at the store?
Yes, parking is free and on site. The Valley Independent Sentinel reported 90 parking spaces at the store in January 2025. Once you are through the door, our hosts with iPads help you browse the menu and order, and the bar waits toward the back if you want to see and smell a strain first.
How do I get to the Bud Bar from Route 8?
The address is 90 Pershing Dr, Derby, CT 06418, in the former Italian Pavilion building. Heading north on Route 8, take the ramp signed for Pershing Drive and Ansonia. When you leave, you can get back on Route 8 southbound from the same Pershing Drive interchange.
How can I pay at the counter?
Both cash and debit cards work at the counter, and credit cards cannot be used. There is an on-site ATM if you need cash. You can also check the same live menu while you are in the store, so you can decide what to buy after you sit down at the bar.
Pay, check the menu and head out
You can check the same live menu while you are in the store. At the Derby counter, payment is by cash or debit card, and credit cards cannot be used. There is an on-site ATM if you need cash. More answers about shopping with us are on our FAQ page.
On the way out, the same interchange puts you back on Route 8 southbound.
