
On March 11, 2019, Vancouver’s Donnelly Group announced they will be launching a chain of cannabis retail stores under the name ‘Hobo Recreational Cannabis Store’. The nine stores are set to open in Ontario and BC, beginning April 2019.
Eight stores are planned for BC, with locations on Granville Street and Commercial Drive. The Ontario store will be on Bank Street in Ottawa.
The Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch has not yet issued any licences in BC for the Donnelly Group. The Ottawa store has finished its required Public Notice period and is waiting for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario to issue its license.

Donnelly Group has two decades of hospitality experience and operates businesses in Vancouver and Toronto, including public houses, cocktail taverns, and barbershops. The new chain of cannabis stores will be in keeping with the Donnelly Group’s disruptive, progressive, and service-oriented brand and ethos.
“We’re dedicated to creating great gathering places for communities across Canada,” says Harrison Stoker, VP Brand & Culture at Donnelly Group. “The result of that dedication is a certain expertise in the areas of sourcing viable lease locations and navigating the regulatory framework around licensing. This has proved invaluable for our new venture, Hobo. Looking forward to the launch of our first nine retail locations in the coming months, our aim is to apply our experience to make the Hobo cannabis experience disarming, compassionate and, fundamentally, human.”
They plan to hire over 200 retail positions in the coming months to staff Hobo Recreational Cannabis Stores.