Queens is the most ethnically diverse county in the United States. 138 languages. 47 percent foreign-born. A cannabis customer base that runs from Caribbean strain heritage in Richmond Hill to indie hip-hop sourcing in Long Island City to elder wellness customers in Forest Hills who never bought weed in their life until New York legalized adult-use sales in 2021. There is no single Queens cannabis customer. There are 2.4 million of them.
Terp Bros NYC was founded by Al Cottone and Jeremy Rivera — both raised in Queens, both with deep roots in the borough's music, hospitality, and small-business ecosystem. The two-shop footprint was deliberate. Astoria covers the N/W corridor from Ditmars down through Long Island City. Cross Bay covers the southern half from Howard Beach out to the Rockaways. Two licenses. Two depots. One borough.
Both stores hold New York Office of Cannabis Management Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary licenses — the highest-trust regulatory status in NY cannabis. CAURD licenses prioritize justice-involved entrepreneurs and operators with deep community ties. Terp Bros qualified on both counts. That is not a marketing line. It is a state-verified prerequisite.