Buddy's Bodega built its identity around the culture of New York City's neighborhood corner stores.
2018: Born in New York City's Underground
Buddy's Bodega (@buddysbodega.shop) was founded in 2018. The original nuggnotes account describes the company as built by New Yorkers, for New Yorkers. Its early operation existed before New York's recreational cannabis market and before the broader wave of licensed retail. The company focused on curating California cannabis for customers across New York City's boroughs.
The Bodega Name: Latino Roots and Neighborhood Pride
The brand's name referenced New York City's iconic neighborhood corner stores. According to the original account, Buddy's Bodega drew on Latino cultural roots and neighborhood pride. The name reflected a familiar part of daily life in New York. That influence extended into the company's product presentation, branding and relationship with customers. The caption describes this identity as something carried through every jar.
Early Designer Cannabis and Branded Mylars
Buddy's Bodega became known for introducing branded California cannabis products into New York's underground market. The original account credits the operation with bringing branded Mylar packaging to New York relatively early. Its curated catalog included:
Runtz.
Cookies (@cookiessf).
Gooniez (@official_gooniez).
Gas House.
Dubz Garden (@dubz_garden).
The company emphasized selecting recognizable products and sought-after flower rather than simply moving whatever product was available.
Culture Over Clout: Tax Traps and Lean Operations
The original account summarizes Buddy's philosophy as:
Culture > Clout.
In interviews, the operators discussed the business challenges involved in running a cannabis delivery operation. Specific topics included:
Tax traps.
Lean operating structures.
Staying connected to cannabis culture.
Maintaining the company's neighborhood identity.
Their mission was summarized in three statements:
Educate. Elevate. Deliver heat.
The caption presents Buddy's as a company combining traditional-market experience with deliberate business strategy.
NYC's Premier Cannabis Delivery
Buddy's promoted itself as:
"NYC's Premier Cannabis Delivery."
According to the original account, its delivery reach extended across:
All five New York City boroughs.
New Jersey.
Yonkers.
The company developed this network without depending on conventional retail storefronts. Its delivery service became a defining part of its identity.
Brooklyn Horchata Cheesecake With Dubz Garden
One of Buddy's named collaborations involved Dubz Garden (@dubz_garden). The release was called:
Brooklyn Horchata Cheesecake.
The collaboration connected a New York-inspired product identity with an established California cannabis collaborator. The original account presents it as an example of Buddy's developing exclusive releases rather than simply distributing other brands.
Apple Juice: A 100% Gas 3.5-Gram Release
Another named product was Apple Juice. The caption identifies it as a 3.5-gram release focused on traditional gas characteristics rather than artificial flavoring. The original description emphasized:
100% gas, no fake flavor.
Apple Juice reflected the company's preference for curated flower with a distinct product identity.
Weekly Drops and New York-Themed Strains
Buddy's continued developing its catalog through:
Weekly releases.
New York-themed strains.
Exclusive collaborations.
Curated menus.
According to the original account, these practices helped distinguish the brand from conventional cannabis delivery operations. Each release contributed to a catalog shaped by local culture and carefully selected products.
Soul Kitchen Pop-Ups
Buddy's Bodega also developed a presence through community events. The original account specifically identifies Soul Kitchen pop-ups. These gatherings helped connect the delivery operation with New York's cannabis community.
420 Events With Astor Club
Buddy's also participated in 420 celebrations with Astor Club (@astorclubnyc). The original caption describes these gatherings as major parties. They reflected the brand's effort to create cultural experiences around cannabis rather than focus exclusively on transactions.
Bringing Zalympix to the East Coast
Buddy's Bodega helped bring Zalympix to the East Coast. The original account identifies a partnership with Green Wolf (@greenwolf.bellflower). The collaboration connected a California cannabis competition concept with New York's developing cannabis scene.
Coverage in Major Publications
The original account identifies media coverage involving:
The New York Times.
Leafly (@Leafly).
High Times (@hightimesmagazine).
These publications documented the company's development from an underground delivery operation into a recognized New York cannabis brand. The caption frames that coverage around Buddy's transition from legacy-market activity toward the regulated market.
2021: New York Legalization and CAURD Readiness
New York legalized adult-use cannabis in 2021. According to the original account, Buddy's Bodega began positioning itself for the new legal market. The caption specifically identifies CAURD readiness, referring to New York's Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary framework. The company sought to preserve its existing customer base, neighborhood identity and traditional-market roots while moving toward legal operation — and the documented record goes further than readiness: the Wall Street Journal reported that Bronson and Cantillo won the conditional (CAURD) permit in January 2023, though their shop still had not opened at that article's publication.
More Than 30 Brands
At the time of the original account, Buddy's offered products from more than 30 brands. Its catalog continued to include exclusive releases alongside products from other cannabis companies. The expanded selection reflected its development from a smaller delivery operation into a broader curated platform.
2025: Dirt by JeuGreen Wins a Billy's Award
The original account identifies a specific exclusive release:
Dirt, by JeuGreen (@jeugreen).
According to the caption, Dirt won a 2025 Billy's Award. The recognition became another example of Buddy's involvement in premium cannabis collaborations.
Streetwear-Style Merchandise
Buddy's also developed merchandise resembling a streetwear label. The original account describes the company's apparel and branded products as another expression of its cultural identity. The merchandise extended the brand beyond cannabis delivery and into fashion-oriented culture.
From Underground Delivery to New York Cannabis Culture
Buddy's Bodega began in 2018 as a New York underground delivery operation rooted in Latino neighborhood culture and bodega identity. Its early catalog introduced California brands such as Runtz, Cookies, Gooniez, Gas House and Dubz Garden to New York customers. The company built delivery reach across the five boroughs, New Jersey and Yonkers while developing exclusive releases including Brooklyn Horchata Cheesecake with Dubz Garden and Apple Juice, a 100% gas 3.5g. Soul Kitchen pop-ups, Astor Club 420 events and the effort to bring Zalympix East with Green Wolf expanded its cultural presence. Following New York's 2021 legalization, Buddy's pursued CAURD readiness while maintaining its original identity. By the time of the caption, its offerings included more than 30 brands, the 2025 Billy's Award-winning "Dirt" by JeuGreen, and streetwear-style merch. The original account presents Buddy's as a delivery business that became part of New York's wider cannabis culture.
Sources
Nugg Notes. "Buddy's Bodega: The Delivery Brand Shaping NY Cannabis." Instagram, May 5, 2025. https://www.instagram.com/p/DJSguqlyhGD/
The original Instagram post behind this article.
Honeysuckle Magazine. "NYC's Coolest Cannabis Brands & Industry Insiders: Best-Kept Secrets." Honeysuckle Magazine, December 6, 2022. https://honeysucklemag.com/new-york-city-cannabis-brands-industry-insiders-buddys-bodega-certz-astor-club-nyc/
Verifies Buddy's Bodega was born in New York in 2018, a premium cannabis delivery service aiming to curate the best menu for New Yorkers by New Yorkers; names co-founders Byron Bronson and Lou Cantillo and the handle @buddysbodega.shop; and documents accessible events like Soul Kitchen, the Astor Club partnership including an exclusive 420 rooftop celebration at the McKittrick Hotel, and an upcoming East Coast growers invitational called the Greenwolf East Coast Zalympix.
Adam Ali. "NY Cannabis Parties: Buddy's Bodega & High Mart Do Soul Kitchen's 30th Anniversary." Honeysuckle Magazine, July 30, 2022. https://honeysucklemag.com/new-york-cannabis-parties-buddys-bodega-high-mart-soul-kitchen-30th-anniversary/
Verifies Buddy's Bodega and High Mart presented Soul Kitchen's 30th Anniversary at Sounds of Brazil (SOB's) on July 24, 2022, with Buddy's running a station and VIP area and co-founder Byron Bronson interviewed on site.
Leafly. "How to celebrate 420 in New York City this year." Leafly, April 19, 2022. https://www.leafly.ca/news/lifestyle/how-to-celebrate-420-in-new-york-city-this-year
Verifies the Astor Club and Buddy's Bodega VIP rooftop 420 celebration at the McKittrick Hotel — an independent corroboration of the Astor Club events, and itself a Leafly mention of the brand (an event listing, not a feature).
Buddy's Bodega. "Buddy's Bodega – Buddy's Bodega Online." buddysbodeganyc.com, n.d. https://buddysbodeganyc.com/
The brand's own site verifies its merch and fashion line, describing the brand as fusing cannabis into fashion, lifestyle and accessories rooted in New York City and the Bay Area, with collections for sale.
Justia Trademarks. "BUDDY'S BODEGA NYC — Trademark Application of Luis Cantillo, Serial Number 88703929." Justia, filed November 22, 2019. https://trademarks.justia.com/887/03/buddy-s-bodega-nyc-ebt-open-24-hrs-stop-frontin-atm-exotics-bb-snacks-bomb-sacks-88703929.html
Verifies a Buddy's Bodega NYC trademark filed by Luis (Lou) Cantillo covering apparel — headwear and tops — corroborating the clothing line and the co-founder's role.
Wall Street Journal. "How New York and California Botched Marijuana Legalization." The Wall Street Journal, 2023 (full text read via a complete reprint). https://www.urbandigs.com/forum/index.php?threads/cannabis-and-real-estate-in-new-york.645/
Verifies that Byron Bronson long sold marijuana illegally in New York under the Buddy's Bodega brand with partner Lou Cantillo as the kind of legacy operators New York hoped to bring into the regulated market, and that the two won a conditional permit in January 2023 to operate a dispensary, though the shop still was not open at publication.
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