Stoned Pizzeria — which operates three other locations in New York City — infuses its food with THC oils, but also purports to sell edibles and flower to customers, per its website.
Philadelphia authorities say they have shut down a Queen Village pizzeria that laces its food and beverages with cannabis.
A joint inspection conducted by the city’s Licenses and Inspections and Health Departments on Friday evening found that Stoned Pizzeria — a New York City-based pizza chain that opened a location earlier in May at Fifth and Bainbridge Streets — lacked a business license and health certificate.
Three uniformed police officers accompanied inspectors as they examined the business, which is guarded by a security guard. Stoned was attempting to fulfill to-go orders while the inspection occurred, including one that had a pre-rolled joint, per an Inquirer reporter at the scene.
The restaurant was instructed to cease operations as of 6:35 p.m. Friday, but general manager Luke Wetherhold offered conflicting information about the entity that had taken over the former location of adjoining restaurants Olly and Gigi.
First, Wetherhold claimed that the business wasn’t a restaurant at all, but a fully operational event space called South Street Events. Then, he claimed nothing was operating at all.
“We haven’t opened yet, so how could we get shut down?” he said.
Wetherhold told inspectors that South Street Events was owned by Chris Barrett, the same man who launched Stoned Pizza in 2017. Barrett — who goes by the nickname Pizza Pusha online — operates three Stoned locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, apparently with little pushback.
