The Hempire is Downtown St. Catharines first cannabis dispensary store, officially opened August of this year
Cofounders Anandhu Mohan & Kiran Xavier, both international students, met as roommates while attending Niagara College. Anandhu graduated from Business – Sales & Marketing and Kiran from Computer Engineering. Originally from Kerala, a beautiful state with idyllic scenery located in South India, they proudly consider Niagara their second home & we couldn’t be more thrilled to have them Downtown!
From the moment you walk into The Hempire you are met by a slick interior (personally designed by Anandhu & Kiran right down to the fixtures!) and greeted by an amazing staff eager to provide exceptional customer service. Their overall mission is to educate consumers on the benefits of cannabis that go beyond ‘just getting high’ & provide the best products suited for individual needs
Anandhu & Kiran aren’t the only entrepreneurs in their family, business runs in their blood with each of their fathers having worked hard to climb out of poverty and build successful businesses in construction & retail. When Kiran’s father dropped out of school at a young age when his dad passed away so he could care for their family. With both parents wanting a better life for his children, he started as a labourer & grew his business until it allowed him to build a new family home and give his kids the chance at education abroad. He recently went back and finished his own education at 52. He is very proud of his son
Anandhu & Kiran have channeled this same strength while facing the challenges of being an international student and opening a new business during a pandemic.
They have high hopes for The Hempire, eventually adding more locations, educational components & their own cannabis farm where they look to create new strains of marijuana. In the meantime, their passion for every aspect of the cannabis industry sets the Hempire apart from others
The Hempire is located at 25 Ontario Street. Parking can be accessed via Ontario Lane (off St. Paul W & Trafalgar St)
Learn more at www.thehempire.ca #TakeoverTuesday #CommunitySTC
Written by: Katherine Dodge
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