New pot dispensary, tattoo parlor get approval from Elgin City Council

It took Elgin nearly five years to find a home for their first adult-use cannabis dispensary. They will soon have a second.

Last week, the city council approved a plan for Jane & Buds Cannabis Dispensary to open in the former Boston Market location at 205 S. Randall Road. New council member Diana Alfaro abstained from the 8-0 vote.

Elgin amended its zoning ordinance in 2019 to allow adult-use cannabis dispensaries in most commercial zones. After struggling to find a location, High Haven opened at 15 Clock Tower Plaza near downtown in September 2024.

Jane & Buds will take over the 2,500-square-foot former restaurant building, which has been vacant since October 2023, giving it a face-lift with a modern black-and-white color scheme.

New sidewalks will be installed on the north and east sides of the property. Trees and new landscaping also will be added.

“The location just checks all the boxes,” Matthew Hagglund, the primary owner of Emerald Coast LLC, told the planning and zoning committee in early April.

Hagglund, a U.S. Navy veteran from Bloomington-Normal, was awarded three licenses in the state’s social equity lottery. The company has already opened locations in Alton and Island Lake.

The dispensary, which would have 20 to 25 employees, would be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday with one on-site security guard during the hours of operation.

The council also approved a new tattoo parlor in the Tyler Creek Plaza shopping center.

Chris Chapman of Nice Choice Club LLC will open the business at 32 Tyler Creek Plaza. The vacant 1,475-square-foot commercial space most recently was occupied by an employment agency.

The three-chair shop plans to be open by appointment only from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. five or six days a week, with some walk-in customers expected on weekends.

The shopping center, anchored by Butera Market, is at the northeast corner of N. McLean Boulevard and Big Timber Road.