After a new smoke and gift shop opened last week downtown, a few people remain skeptical given the problems with past similar businesses. However, this particular shop is like no other.
The Loonar Station, associated with Mr. E’s Smokin’ Gift Shop in Toledo, is located at 153 N. Main St. It is currently the only head shop in the town.
Unlike the shops of the past, the Loonar Station has a wide variety of items such as disk golf supplies, hookahs, tobacco, posters, glass art, incense, locally made jewelry, art and music, clothing, gag gifts and other items.
The town has not had much success with head shops in the past. In April of 2010, former smokeshop “Mezmorize” that was located downtown, was raided on suspicion of selling drug paraphernalia. Items such as glass water pipes, detox agents, synthetic urine and other products were confiscated by the Bowling Green police.
Amanda Perkins, manager of the Loonar Station, is not worried about the store’s success.
“A lot of people get lazy and stop following the rules,” Perkins said. “We are making sure to mind our P’s and Q’s. We are here to stay. The store has been a big success since its opening.”
Perkins said the store’s target demographic is students. Unlike other smoke shops, the Loonar Station is selling a mixture of merchandise not limited to tobacco products, she said.
“You must be 18 to even enter the store and we will not allow entry to anyone without a valid ID,” Perkins said.
Bowling Green’s store is significantly larger than the Toledo Loonar Station, but it will be carrying much of the same products. Its motto is to function as a “clean, contemporary, smoke shop that caters to the modern hippie.”
Some of the University students seem excited about the opening of the new store. Junior Ed Davis said he’s happy he won’t have to travel far anymore to visit the Loonar Station.
“I can’t wait to go to the Loonar Station,” Davis said. “I will no longer have to fill up my gas tank to take a trip to a beautiful glass-filled world.”
Senior Nathan Sturwold believes the shop will be successful because of the Toledo location’s popularity.
“Given the history of the past head shops, I would remain a little skeptical but this particular store is known for its success,” Sturwold said.
While some students are optimistic about the store, other students have a different opinion. Junior Ben Schaller is a little more skeptical about the store’s opening.
“On the surface it seems like a great move to put a new head shop into a college town, but unfortunately I believe that it will ultimately face the same fate of the last head shops,” Schaller said. “If they have the ability to stay in business, I would suspect that it would be due to the success of their other location.”
The Loonar Station is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and is located at 153 N. Main St.
