Chicago’s first independent Black-owned dispensary didn’t start with venture capital, a corporate partner, or a multi-state operator writing checks. It started with a South Side family, a social equity license, and a decision to build something that actually belonged to them.
Matthew Brewer is a Stanford, Yale Law, and Harvard graduate who first got involved in Illinois’ cannabis industry in 2014 when the state legalized medical marijuana. He spotted something immediately: a billion-dollar industry emerging in Chicago, and almost none of it owned by the Black and Brown communities who had borne the brunt of cannabis criminalization for decades. He spent years working toward a license, and when the opportunity came, he didn’t take a single offer from outside investors who wanted control in exchange for capital. “The second it’s no longer a Black-owned business,” he said, “we’ve lost a little of the significance.”
So he called his brother Chuck. And his mother Dianne. And the Grasshopper Club was born.
Chicago’s Black-Owned Dispensary Built By the South Side, For Everyone
Chuck Brewer runs daily operations. Dianne Brewer — who retired 12 years ago — came back to run the books at 74. Matthew oversees the business and keeps fighting the obstacles that keep coming: rezoning battles, fundraising gaps, neighborhood petitions, permit delays. For the South Loop location alone, he navigated 25 to 35 separate obstacles serious enough to stop the process. He held four community meetings. He spent 18 months and $650,000 building out a former Subway sandwich shop into a dispensary worthy of the neighborhood.
For Chuck, the opening of Grasshopper Club was full circle. He was once arrested for cannabis possession as a young adult — exactly the kind of charge that has followed Black men in Chicago for generations. “Once upon a time, I used to stand on blocks and look over my shoulder looking for the police,” he said. “But to be able to do this legally is great. There’s a culture that existed before legalization, and we represent that.”
The experience inside Grasshopper Club reflects everything that philosophy demands. From the moment you walk in, a “can-cierge” — a trained cannabis concierge — is there to guide your visit, whether you’re entirely new to cannabis or a seasoned explorer who knows exactly what they want. The product selection covers the full spectrum: premium flower, pre-rolls, edibles, vape pens, topicals, and accessories — all curated for quality. The Logan Square flagship is housed in a restored 1920s bank building. The South Loop location sits next door to Trader Joe’s at 58 E. Roosevelt Road, designed by the same creative director who built out more than 40 restaurants with the Michael Mina group.
About 900 people applied for 20 jobs when the South Loop location opened. That’s what community investment looks like from the other direction.
Grasshopper Club is not affiliated with any large cannabis company, multi-state operator, or corporate investor. It is independently owned. It is family-run. And it is proof — growing, expanding, hiring, and reinvesting in Chicago — that this industry can look different.
A third location is in development. The work continues.
🌿 grasshopperclub.com · @grasshopperclub
You must be logged in to post a comment.