Nestled in the small town of Sumpter sits the most rootin’ and tootin’ dispensary-cafe combo this side of the Mississippi. Customers might feel like they’re walking up to an old Western saloon, but this veteran-owned Recreational Bud & Grub has a lot more in stock than just sarsaparilla. The history of Sumpter Nugget dates way back to the ’70s when it originally operated as a Western-themed restaurant. After being closed and shuttered for over a decade, the location was purchased in 2017 and updated into the rustic consortium that stands today.
The dispensary side of the business carries a broad assortment of Cannabis flower, ranging from exclusive, top-shelf cultivars to $50-ounce deals. While flower is the shop’s highest volume sale item, it also carries an array of edibles, topicals, extracts, pre-rolls and disposable vapes to meet various customer needs. Sumpter Nugget hosts its own in-house brands, Bad Rabbit Farms and Bad Rabbit Solventless, which are grown and processed locally. The store has a Nugget Rewards program, which allows patrons to tally up points on purchases to earn non-Cannabis-related items like pipes, lighters and clothes. It also has a Nuggateers Club, where anyone who presents a keychain, shirt or other Sumpter Nugget merchandise can receive a discount at checkout.
For shoppers looking to rustle up some grub, the cafe next door serves a cure for the munchies. The location is a bona fide eating establishment, featuring a diverse mix of food options from mouthwatering breakfast platters to tacos and hot sandwiches. In addition, it sells CBD coffee and seltzers, along with an extensive collection of other hemp-based cannabinoid products that visitors can purchase to take home or consume right there in the restaurant. Having a receipt from the dispensary qualifies for a 10% discount or a free coffee, so it’s not uncommon to see guests dropping in for a bite or quick cup of joe before hitting the trail.
While the town of Sumpter has a tight-knit population of just over 200 people, Sumpter Nugget pulls in a large variety of clientele from near and far. Tourism in the area is a significant draw, but the business also has a sizable population of repeat shoppers.
Owner Jenny Long credits the strength of the customer service, the selection of flower options and the store layout as key reasons why consumers return to their establishment over others in the area. “We have a wide floor plan and easy-to-view display cases with all the products laid out,” she says. “Our budtenders greet customers as soon as they walk in, so there’s no waiting, and there’s no rushing. It feels comfortable and it feels like family for a lot of folks, so that’s why they enjoy coming here.”
