Within seconds of listening to Vladimir Bautista speak about his red-hot New York City-based dispensary and cannabis lifestyle brand, Happy Munkey, you can’t help but feel inspired. This Vlad dude is seriously cool. Along with his longtime business partner and high school friend Ramon Reyes, Bautista has transformed Happy Munkey into more than just a storefront dispensary. It’s become a source of pride for a culture, a neighborhood, and a city. These guys even brought two Clio Awards to Dyckman Street in the Heights. Now that’s impressive.
With a second location in the heart of downtown Brooklyn, just a stone’s throw from the Barclay Center, home of the NBA’s Nets and NHL’s Islanders, Happy Munkey offers a wide range of top-quality products including flower, pre-rolls, edibles, tinctures, concentrates, and vapes. But what sets Happy Munkey apart is the level of swag (or is it rizz?) that permeates the entire experience. From the NYC authenticity that can be felt in every inch of the shop to the words spoken by its proprietors, Happy Munkey is the epitome of cool. It’s no surprise that in 2024, it still feels like New York because it is New York. In fact, the owners of the Inwood location and their motto are one and the same: “We don’t do it for the clout, we do it for the culture.”
So, is Happy Munkey on its way to becoming a global brand? Will it follow the Starbucks model and expand to every corner of the world? According to Bautista, that’s not the plan. “Maybe it’s more like TAO nightclubs,” he says, “where they only open a few clubs in select locations with world-class results.” A TAO-like cannabis headquarters sounds pretty rad, right? And what about a reality show based on Happy Munkey? Bautista grins mischievously and reveals that they’ve been filming behind-the-scenes for about 18 months now. “You never know,” he says with a wink.
But beyond the cool factor and potential for expansion, Bautista and Reyes (along with the entire Happy Munkey family) have a genuine passion for the plant and its medicinal properties. They are advocates for cannabis legalization and education, and their goal is to provide safe, legal cannabis to the community that has given them so much. As a lifestyle brand, Happy Munkey is making moves well beyond their dispensaries. They have a podcast called “The Happy Munkey Podcast,” they sell merchandise, they have their own television show called “Munkey TV,” and for a while, they even had their own magazine called “Munkey Biz.” Happy Munkey is more than just a see, hear, and speak no evil kind of brand. It’s a 360-degree cannabis experience that brings joy, quality, and success back to the very place they call home. That’s Nueva York, baby!