A year in the making, East Coast Buds opens in West Babylon

The Hulk has moved out. East Coast Buds has moved in.

The former Food & Fun Deli in West Babylon, remembered for its Hulk statue and comic book memorabilia, is now home to a cannabis dispensary more than a year in the making.

East Coast Buds is now open at 1228 Wellwood Ave., across from St. Charles Cemetery, in an area many Long Islanders associate with Farmingdale.

The owners, all Long Island natives, used that time to decide what to stock, hire staff and lay out the store.

They wanted a neighborhood shop where customers could browse at their own pace and ask questions when they were ready.

Room to roam

Customers can look through the displays, browse the menu on a kiosk or talk with someone at the counter. The store carries flower, pre-rolls, edibles, vapes, tinctures and other cannabis products for adults 21 and older.

“I wanted to build something that our parents, our grandparents, if you’re lucky enough to still have them, would be comfortable enough coming in here,” said general manager Elizabeth Rosario.

Manager Tom Denapoli said the variety of products and unfamiliar terminology can make a first visit feel overwhelming.

“Whether you’ve been enjoying cannabis for decades or you’re stepping into a dispensary for the first time, we want you to feel equally comfortable and confident,” he said. “Our goal is to replace intimidation with education, pressure with genuine conversation, and uncertainty with confidence.”

Rosario said roughly three-quarters of her team has worked in dispensaries before, including some who have helped run stores. She draws on that experience when deciding what to stock and how the staff can help customers compare products.

“Budtenders make all the difference, especially those with experience,” Rosario said.

Getting to know the neighbors

“Everyone on my staff was born and raised on Long Island,” Rosario said.

Those local roots have made for some easy introductions. Conversations between employees and visitors have already turned up connections they didn’t know they shared, she said.

“After years in the cannabis industry, I’ve learned that success goes far beyond sales,” Denapoli said. “It’s about building genuine relationships, creating a culture people want to be part of, and making every customer feel valued.”

For Rosario, that means getting to know customers by name and remembering to ask how their kids are doing or how things are going with the new puppy.

One customer has already brought in a tray of snacks for the staff, Rosario said.

“We’ve already seen repeat customers,” she said. “Customers think about us when they’re not there, and they bring us things. That’s a great sign for the community we’re looking to build, and what’s to come.”

A grand opening celebration is planned for later this fall.

History on the walls

While the team was getting the store ready, they dug through old newspaper coverage of cannabis. Some of what they found now hangs on the walls.

“We did a lot of researching to find these, and some made us laugh,” Rosario said.

One favorite is a clipping Rosario identifies as a 1928 Seattle Times article describing marijuana users as “laugh addicts.”

“If that’s how people see me, our staff and our customers, then I love it,” she said. “We need more laughter in this world. We’re all addicted to laughter.

“I’ll stand by that.”

If you go

East Coast Buds is located at 1228 Wellwood Ave., West Babylon, across from St. Charles Cemetery The hours are Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Browse the menu at eastcoastbuds.com and follow @eastcoastbudsli on Instagram.

For adults 21 and older.