Delivering Moore
The best Asheville cannabis dispensary district manager
Rosa Moore is usually exhausted by the end of her work day, but she wouldn't have it any other way. It’s all good, she can unwind easily enough with a big old joint, because cannabis has changed her life, and also because she gets a generous employee discount on pre rolls.
“It’s not just that the industry has had a huge impact in my life,” said Moore, District Manager for Apotheca Dispensary in Asheville, NC. “Cannabis makes a huge difference for so many people, making their lives better. That’s the best part of my job, helping people.”
Despite having never worked in retail, Moore first got into the cannabis space as a store manager for Apotheca, a chain of dispensaries with stores across North Carolina, Tennessee and in Atlanta. Best for Moore, they have multiple locations in Asheville, her hometown.
She was hired after a single interview, two-hours long, with the owner of Apotheca, Lee VanTine. He saw something in her that she hadn’t even seen in herself, yet. And, the next day she was donning the familiar green apron to lead the store in need.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Lee and Kristi,” says Moore. “They’ve been so good to me and my family. It would be unethical for me not to mention how considerate and supportive they’ve been. Lee gave me a chance to grow right along with the company.”
Moore was hired at the end of the pandemic in 2021. And, despite her having a teaching degree and working in the classroom for only a year, she never wanted to return to that work. She experienced too much ‘bureaucracy, racism, sexism’ and other frustrations.
At the time, Apotheca only had about 20 stores total, and just three in Asheville. Moore was given the smallest location, but made the most of it. She turned that storefront into one of the highest revenue generating stores in the chain.
Moore only worked as a store manager for a year though. VanTine’s confidence in her grew because of her strong work ethic and desire to be the best, while being really good at helping people. So, after just a year, she was made a District Manager for all Asheville stores.
“It’s been an incredible opportunity,” Moore said. “In the last couple of years there have been two more stores added and there are three more underway. Now there’s talk about our first store in the next county over, which will also fall to me. But I love it!”
Moore feels her success comes from having the same values as the company. She’s dedicated, passionate, focused, driven to be the best, and has educated herself and her staff about every product. It’s a concerted focus to help customers make informed decisions that’s grown.
“I love dispelling the negative myths and educating people about cannabis and THC,” Moore says. “That really helps people. They come for the products but return for great service and a comfortable experience. That all starts with my team, who are empowered to succeed.”
Apotheca’s primary mission is customer service but internally, there is also a strong focus to help employees grow personally and professionally too. There are generous sales incentives, employee discounts and great benefits (80% of all premiums are paid by the company).
Of course, part of that drive to help employees grow comes from the company’s own growth. In the three and a half years Moore has been with Apotheca, the chain has added more than a dozen new stores and about as many in negotiation or under lease.
The chain’s growth is strategic. Created once cannabis had been legalized 99.97 percent at the Federal level, VanTine has grown the chain to 33 storefronts and 10 more under lease. It continues to grow because of dedication, like Moore's, to constantly improve.
“That’s been part of my own personal growth,” Moore said. “When I started, I didn’t know how to read analytics or understand margins. I didn’t know about marketing reports. But this job has given me the chance to learn these things, to be better at my work.”
Apotheca was created to give people a chance to be their best selves, Moore feels. Her team knows Apotheca customer service comes from great training, sales incentives, flexible scheduling and the chance to grow with the company, like a weed.
