In Store

Beverly Alternative Relief Center, Los Angeles California

By Joshua K

Posted on February 28, 2018

We check out BARC in Beverly Hills to see how they stack up

Name: Beverly Alternative Relief Center

Location: 432 South San Vicente Blvd. Suite #100 Los Angeles, CA 90048

Number: (855) 227-2420

Website: www.BARCcollective.com

Los Angeles is the mecca of medical cannabis and is poised to become the largest recreational market on the planet. We stopped by Beverly Alternative Relief Center, located just a stones throw from the world famous Beverly Center, to see how they stack up since the new regulations took place. From the outside, BARC looks like the a-typical ultra high end doctors office you see around Beverly Hills. Once you enter however, you step into a world of comfort and craft cannabis luxury. I was instantly greeted with enthusiasm as soon as I walked in the door. Not an easy feat mind you, as the entrance was a solid distance from the check-in counter. A quick look around at one of the most spacious lobbies i’ve encountered to date, and I saw 2 long rows of plush leather seats, and a TV playing a movie. The tv wasn’t too loud, so you could have a conversation if you wanted or listen for your name to be called, but it was just loud enough that if you wanted to watch the movie you could. A missed opportunity here is having physical menus available, but they do keep their online menus on WeedMaps and Leafly up to date. The check-in process was easy, and the seats made the wait extremely comfortable. Before I knew it, I was on my way to the budroom.

BARC Collective – Lobby

Upon entering the budroom, I immediately noticed how clean and organized everything was. It was perfectly spaced for the offerings the store had and even during rush hour, the budtenders managed to keep everything extremely well kept and displayed properly. The jars were stacked neatly and were meticulously evenly spaced on the shelving behind the budtender as well as on the counter in a display. It seemed everything had its place at BARC and was easy to find for the budtenders if the customer had any questions. The design of the budroom was minimalistic by nature as well as fresh and inviting with plenty of bright lighting, which helped to accent the product offerings as well as show off how clean everything was.  The wood paneling is also a nice touch, as it gave an artisan vibe to the entire establishment without going overboard and making it feel like a shop in the pacific northwest. The store was fully stocked, no bare shelf space as they made sure to keep everything loaded using best practices for traditional retail. There was also very good product diversity, with offerings from some of California’s top cannabis brands as well as some localized growers. BARC has 2 POS systems, one at each end of the bar to be able to help multiple patients at once to keep patient flow steady.  The display menus were easy to read for the customer and everything was clearly labeled and well lit. I was equally impressed with the budtender who not only was able to answer my questions, but the one question she didn’t know, she quickly looked up on the computer to find out. This is the sign of a well trained retail staff, doing their part as a piece of a well oiled machine.

BARC Collective – Budroom

– TOP MARKS –

• Solid Design
• Friendly Staff
• Product Diversification
• Comfortable Lobby
• Extremely Clean

– BOTTOM MARKS –

• Difficult Parking / Access
• No Receipt Offered

Marijuana Retail Report Rating – 9.37 / 10

Marijuana Retail Report conducts its reviews independent of the shops / lounges knowledge. Marijuana Retail Report is neither paid or otherwise incentivized by the shop / lounge to review them. They are not informed of the review either prior to, during, or after and cannot have the review edited for any reason other than provable inaccuracy or update due to time. The reviews are unbiased by design and contain a proprietary 31 point inspection of the store during the review. The cannabis is purchased by the reviewer and is not paid for by the shop nor is the reviewer reimbursed by the shop for the review. The products selected for purchase are purchased at random based on variable criteria and are meant to spot check the dispensary.