About The Pass
Tucked in the mountains of the Berkshires in Sheffield, Massachusetts, The Pass is a vertically integrated dispensary known for cultivating top-shelf cannabis and community. Since opening its barn-style storefront in 2020, The Pass has built a reputation for education, experience, and exceptional products grown on-site.
Part of what sets The Pass apart is its nature-meets-culture approach. As a “farm-to-label” operator, they produce and sell flower, concentrates, and edibles under The Pass and Berkshire Bud brands, while also curating high-quality third-party products to round out the menu.
“Raising the general cannabis IQ of everybody that walks in the door is really what we're about.”
Blake Gurgul
General Manager at The Pass
With a steady mix of locals and seasonal tourists coming through the door, the team’s mission is simple: provide the best experience possible—and Flowhub is a big part of that.
Tools that empower every role
At The Pass, technology isn’t just in the background; it’s essential to the customer experience and operations. But the key factor in technology decisions is simplicity. Blake and his team rely on Flowhub to power everything from check-in to checkout, inventory audits, and beyond.
The real secret weapon is Flowhub’s exclusive handheld mobile scanner, the Nug®. It not only streamlines check-in, but also makes inventory auditing 66% faster. “It used to take us over an hour to audit multiple times a day. The Nug has completely streamlined the process,” shares Blake Gurgul, General Manager at The Pass.
“The Nug was totally game-changing for us. It’s the base of our operation—from the front to the back. We swear by it through and through. It makes everything so easy.”
Blake Gurgul
General Manager at The Pass
From the moment a guest walks in, the Greet® app makes it easy to verify IDs and get them in the queue for service. Once inside, budtenders use Flowhub Maui POS to guide conversations and make tailored recommendations—leveraging past purchase history and real-time product data.
“We provide a personalized experience whether someone knows exactly what they want or has no idea,” says Tim Galpin, Floor Supervisor and longtime budtender. “Flowhub makes it easy to look up products, see purchase history, and keep track of customer limits. It’s all there,” he says.
For inventory, the team uses the Stash® app to manage intakes and daily audits. “They've been huge, huge tools for us to provide the smoothest experience for the customer, and also stay in compliance with the state,” says Blake.
Compliance made simple
Massachusetts cannabis regulations are notoriously complex. The Pass relies on Flowhub to help maintain compliance with dual ID checks, accurate inventory reporting, and daily limits.
One of the biggest challenges, according to Blake, is what he calls the “one-ups and one-downs” of inventory and the need to look to multiple applications to remedy the discrepancy. “Flowhub has done a good job of unifying,” he says.
“I would guestimate hundreds of hours a year are saved based on how accessible Flowhub has all that information.”
Blake Gurgul
General Manager at The Pass
Blake explains, “We’ve got someone dedicated to reconciling Flowhub and Metrc every day. The fact that Flowhub syncs so smoothly with Metrc—and highlights discrepancies in real time—makes a massive difference.”
Budtenders also appreciate how intuitive the POS is during transactions. “Flowhub automatically tracks purchase limits,” adds Tim. “I can flag overages before grabbing products from the back. It really prevents human error.”
Power in the palm of your hand
As a general manager overseeing a busy store, Blake leans heavily on Flowhub’s View mobile app for real-time insights and decision-making.
“I try not to look at the View app because I obsess over it. I probably check it 10 times a day.”
Blake Gurgul
General Manager at The Pass
He uses View to monitor best-selling bundles, check on daily performance, and open up conversations with his team. “It’s so accessible that I just love to watch the numbers go up,” says Blake. “Flowhub helps me be closer to the floor, even when I’m not there.”
A partner that listens
When Flowhub launched Maui, its next-generation retail platform, The Pass was among the first in Massachusetts to make the switch.
“We were on calls weekly,” Blake recalls. “We felt like we were part of building the roadmap. It was a great experience.”
Today, Blake and Tim continue to work closely with Flowhub to explore new products like integrated payments and ecommerce, which eliminate the need for multiple third-party vendors.
“Flowhub will never not be on speaking terms with Flowhub. That’s the value of having everything in one place.”
Blake Gurgul
General Manager at The Pass
Why they recommend Flowhub
With a stable team, strong community, and streamlined operations, The Pass shows what’s possible when culture and compliance coexist. They’ve trusted Flowhub as their dispensary technology provider of choice for over five years, crediting much of that to the customer service.
“We’ve built a great partnership,” says Blake. “Flowhub listens, supports us, and keeps making things easier. I talk about it with other managers all the time. I swear by it.”
“Flowhub is easy to use and does what it needs to do,” says Tim. “I’d recommend it to anyone getting into the cannabis industry.”
With Flowhub, The Pass has turned compliance into confidence and audits into efficiency. Together, we’re building what the future of cannabis retail looks like.
Thank you, Blake, Tim, and the whole team at The Pass for our longtime partnership! Keep crushing it in the Berkshires.
