The Portal of Wonder Awakens
Creating community spaces from re-imagined dreams.
When the owners of Doobie Nights cannabis dispensary opened at the end of 2019, they had no idea how hard it would be to succeed in a competitive and restricted industry. When a break-in closed the former lobby of the store in 2023, the shop entrance moved to the side door and the team ran a leaner operation.
But it pained them to leave such a beautiful space unused. The sculptured walls and lighting of Doobie Nights were designed by Corey Thompson and Brian Pinkham, with projection mapping on one wall and an LED screen inside what’s called the “Portal of Wonder” that leads into the dispensary. It’s like a festival lightshow inside a building, and the artists went on to create a space at Meow Wolf after they completed our installation. The Portal must be experienced, so the owners saved up and finally decided how to make use of the space.
Café Döbé is born and The Upstairs transforms into a community space.
By 2025, the owners of Doobie Nights began slowly remodeling the former lobby and the large space upstairs which had been used mostly for storage. New flooring, walls and paint were installed, the space was opened up and a café kitchen was built out in the lobby.
The space would make a great consumption lounge if only the city of Santa Rosa allowed them. But in the meantime, the decision was made to open a coffee shop and use the space upstairs for events like classes, birthday parties or networking events. After all, people who like weed often enjoy things like coffee, snacks and good times!