On Art, Community, & the Magic Behind Fort Myers’ Hottest Smoke Shop
I finally emerged from the fire.t was 4/20 when the pirate ship.
Of course, that was what was supposed to happen. Created live before a crowd, the craft was the work of a father-and-son glass-blowing team who regularly twirl and huff their creations to life at the Treasure Chest in North Ft. Myers, Florida.
Live pipe-making demonstrations are just one of the ways shop owner Treasure Rose is expanding the idea of what a smoke shop can be.
“This is just something we do for the community,” she says. “When we have in-house glass blowing, you can come in and sit and have a cup of coffee or get a beer. We have a tap wall that features a lot of local breweries.
It’s not that you can just come in and shop. You can come in and see the art, listen to live music, and enjoy the vibe.”
While it remains a friendly and clean space to pick up vapes, dab rigs, and tobacco products, the Treasure Chest has become the anchor of the counterculture scene in Southwest Florida. With regular visits from local food trucks and an alcohol license, it’s as much a gathering spot as a storefront.
Started From the Bottom
The hustle and bustle of the Treasure Chest is the culmination of a hard-fought career. Treasure Rose (yes, it’s her real name) started by selling smoke shop goods at local flea markets. She spent five years manning fold-out tables before starting her first store, then another 10 before opening a second.
Her business acumen includes the enviable ability to see around corners. She’s been at the leading edge of cannabis culture for decades, always supplying consumers with something that fits their needs—even when it seemed to cut against the grain.
It’s almost funny, she says, to think back on her early days. Nestled among purveyors of skater jeans, Beanie Babies, and second-hand Creed CDs, it was Rose’s glass pipes, candles, and essential oils that brought allegations of bad taste.
Luckily, times have changed.
“I remember sitting out at those flea markets so many times when people would walk by and say, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe she’s allowed to sell this stuff.’ And I remember peeking out my door when I first opened my shop, wondering if I was going to get arrested. I was always living by the seat of my pants,” Rose says.
“But I don’t worry anymore. I feel confident that everybody sees it as medicine, and I’ve always followed everything by the book. But to not have to worry in that same way is really just huge.”
As society moved toward a more agreeable perspective on cannabis, Rose embraced the newfound freedom that social acceptance brought. Though she began by supplying accessories to an underserved client base, she never settled for doing the bare minimum. As state laws relaxed, she searched for new and more interesting ways to serve her customers’ unmet needs.
“I remember sitting out at those flea markets so many times when people would walk by and say, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe she’s allowed to sell this stuff .’ And I remember peeking out my door when I first opened my shop, wondering if I was going to get arrested. I was always living by the seat of my pants.”
Beyond the Standard Shop
“We bought an old Pizza Hut for our third store. It was perfect because it had the whole pizza kitchen with a big oven hood, which made great ventilation for the glass blowing,” Rose says.
“We were able to use that as our glass blowing studio and then we built the bar around it so people could sit and enjoy it and out back and we have a stage and a seating area.”
Now, she’s no longer limiting her goods to vaping products, smoking accessories, and smoke shop goodies. She’s creating a space for the community. The Treasure Chest in North Ft. Myers functions as a gathering spot for the counter-culture set, the de facto front porch of a community that not long ago was pushed to the fringes.
“We do everything. We’ve had people painting. We’ve had people making clips with feathers. We’ve had so many people that come in off the street—tie-dyers and candle makers and all sorts of different artists,” she says. “We’ve had bakers making great, great desserts and treats. There’s so many, so many great artists and we really love all of it. You can come to watch fire dancers while your next piece is being created. It is unbelievable.”
The Green Mile
Shortly after artists Matty White and Kyle White put finishing touches on their glass pirate ship, it’s time for a demonstration.
Matty leans forward and exhales into the craft’s stern. A second later, smoke oozes out of the cannon ports on both sides. It works! The 4/20 crowd erupts in cheers, and the Treasure Chest has a new mascot piece.
It’s a moment that resonates with what Treasure Rose has been building toward since she started in the industry. While her methods may have changed, her work remains driven by the same interests and values that initially propelled her to open a flea market booth.
“I like to call it green medicine. It grows from the ground and it’s the best way to handle your illness, as opposed to the pharmaceutical industry, which is one of the biggest killers out there,” she says. “I love that people are finding natural medicine, that they’re able to partake, that it’s helping a lot of people with their pain on so many levels. I think that’s my favorite thing. But I also love the culture. I love the industry. I love the people. I love the art. I think it’s all pretty awesome.”
