When Hibernica opened in April 2024, it became Pelham Bay's first legal recreational dispensary and, according to the Bronx Times, only the ninth in the entire borough. The shop occupies 3220 Westchester Avenue, a former 7-Eleven between Westchester and Wilkinson avenues, steps from Pelham Bay Park, the last stop on the 6 train.
From shuttered 7-Eleven to Pelham Bay's first dispensary
The site's path to legal retail was a public one. In July 2023, the Bronx Times reported that a CAURD-licensed team was proposing a dispensary for the vacant convenience store, and Community Board 10 held a hearing on it. Some members voiced concerns about the many unlicensed smoke shops already selling cannabis in the area — which, in a sense, was the argument for a licensed shop.
OCM records show the license, OCM-CAURD-24-000131, was issued to Green Sun Inc. on April 12, 2024, and the first sales followed on April 18, with an official celebration around April 20.
The CAURD partnership behind it
The 2023 Bronx Times report named the applicants as Dragan Ristovski, who with his wife Elena owns restaurants in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and Edwin Ripoll, a Bronx resident who owns a mobile car-detailing business and was the partner through whom the team qualified for the CAURD program.
Day-to-day leadership has evolved. By the shop's two-year anniversary in April 2026, the Bronx Times described Hibernica as a family-owned business run by brothers Jonathan Guerrero, the general manager, and Chris Ortiz, who handles inventory. Guerrero grew up in Spanish Harlem, where he told the paper cannabis was once "very taboo."
Why the name stands out
The shop hasn't explained the name publicly, but it brands itself on Instagram as "House of Hibernica," and the name is memorable among East Bronx storefronts. The website leans on sustainability language, describing products that are premium, sustainably grown and locally sourced, and it offers a virtual budtender tool to help shoppers narrow choices before ordering. Bundles and specials have their own pages, and a dedicated events page lists in-store activations, which in the past have included brand pop-ups and anniversary celebrations. Taken together, the online tools make it easy to plan a delivery order without calling the store at all.
Hiring from the reentry pipeline
Hibernica's most distinctive feature is behind the counter. The shop partners with Housing Works on the CREATE program, which offers internships to people affected by the old marijuana laws, and the Bronx Times reported that about 70% of the staff came through that pipeline, with paths to permanent jobs. The shop also donates a portion of sales to The Bronx Community Foundation.
Ortiz summed up the shift for the paper in 2024: staff are "no longer their dealer," but businesspeople who are part of the community.
Free delivery across the Bronx and lower Westchester
In September 2024 Hibernica launched delivery across the whole Bronx and southern Westchester County. Its delivery page currently lists the Bronx, Westchester, White Plains, New Rochelle, and the Pelham Bay Park and Orchard Beach area, with no delivery fee (a minimum order may apply for free delivery). Same-day service is available in select areas.
In-store hours, per the shop's website, are 9 a.m.–10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m.–11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; delivery windows are shorter and start later on most days. The website also notes free parking in front of the store. Call (929) 777-9869 with questions.
Getting there in the East Bronx
The Pelham Bay store is well placed for drivers as well as subway riders: the Bruckner Expressway and Hutchinson River Parkway both pass nearby, and the free parking out front avoids the hunt for a spot on Westchester Avenue. It's also the nearest licensed shop for visitors heading to Pelham Bay Park or Orchard Beach in summer. Follow the shop on Instagram at @houseofhibernica for pop-up dates and specials.
Two years in — and a second store by Central Park
Hibernica marked its second anniversary on April 17–20, 2026 with brand pop-ups from Woodstock and MFNY, tie-dyeing, food trucks and a Yankees ticket raffle. Two months later, the team opened Hibernica Central Park at 111 Central Park North (West 110th Street) in Harlem, which OCM lists as opening on June 26, 2026 under license OCM-RETL-26-000511.
The Central Park North sister store
Hibernica's second shop, Hibernica Central Park, sits on the northern edge of Central Park at 111 Central Park North, the stretch of West 110th Street between Lenox Avenue and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard. It's steps from the Central Park North–110th Street station on the 2 and 3 lines and a short walk from the Harlem Meer. OCM lists it under a separate entity, Trash Island BK Inc., with filed hours of 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The shop's website notes that it also offers in-store pickup and free delivery.
Shopping notes from public reviews
On Leafly, Hibernica holds a 4.9-star rating across 38 reviews. Reviewers consistently describe the shop as clean and organized, well stocked, and staffed by knowledgeable budtenders. One recurring caution: the shop takes cash and debit, but debit may be processed as a "cashless ATM" withdrawal with added fees, so ask about charges before you swipe or bring cash. Leafly also lists a veteran discount, ADA access, and food trucks that sometimes park in the lot.
In October 2026, Leafly's copy of the menu showed roughly 450 products and promotions that included three Back Home eighths or six-packs for $75 and a second MFNY gummy at 40% off. The website adds a loyalty program and bundle deals. Before stocking up, check our guide to how much cannabis you can legally buy and carry in New York.
Other options in the East Bronx
The East Bronx has filled in since Hibernica opened. OCM now lists:
- Say Less, at 3764 E Tremont Ave in Throggs Neck (opened December 2025).
- Victory Dispensary, at 3653 E Tremont Ave (May 2026).
- Weed Land, at 1260 Castle Hill Ave (June 2026).
Hibernica remains the closest licensed shop to Pelham Bay Park, Co-op City drivers coming off the Hutchinson River Parkway, and riders at the end of the 6. For another well-reviewed Bronx shop, read our Sesh NYC review, and find every other licensed Bronx shop in the High Today directory.
Who gets the most out of it
Pelham Bay, Country Club, Throggs Neck and Westchester Square residents are the core audience, along with delivery customers anywhere in the Bronx or lower Westchester and shoppers who want their purchase to support a reentry hiring program. Check the live menu on Hibernica's official site.