How a local dispensary has won the hearts of Davis residents

By PIPER AWEEKA — city@theaggie.org

Club420, formerly known as F Street Dispensary, remains a Davis favorite, winning the 2025 title of Best Dispensary in the city. With an additional location in Dixon, the dispensary remains a local operation with humble roots. As one of the few marijuana retailers in Davis, Club420 has a known reputation for both its positive customer service and its outstanding deals.

Cheyenne Romero, general manager at the Davis location, elaborated on the origins of Club420.

“Mike and Rob [Read] are the actual owners,” Romero said. “Their dad, I believe, actually owned a jewelry store here. They are the ones that kind of did everything. They actually switched the address. I believe it was 418 before, and they had it switched to 420. They do everything here in the store. They help build everything, they fix everything.”

Will Gilroy, an employee at Club420, described why the storefront has maintained its high regard in the community.

“We have a great staff,” Gilroy said. “Everyone’s very likeable, very knowledgeable. We have some great prices, great deals going on almost every time. A lot of places around here, they’ll just give you the base price, and then come to taxes afterwards, but we put our taxes right in the pricing.”

Though located in the heart of a college town, Gilroy explained how Club420’s clientele is not limited to students.

“Because the school is so large, a lot of our clientele is students, but we get a wide variety from older people looking for sleep aid, to people just looking for help with back problems and stuff,” Gilroy said.

Daphne Boyd, a third-year student at UC Davis, explained why Club420 is so popular amongst her peers.

“F St. wins best dispensary by a landslide,” Boyd said. “Every time I stop by, they offer personal recommendations and student discounts, and they always have a big [April 20] sale. Also, the staff are incredibly friendly.”

While customers appreciate the warm atmosphere Club420 offers, employees share a similar reverence. Gilroy shared his admiration for the work environment at Club420.

“Honestly, it’s a great gig, just hanging out with friends, selling weed,” Gilroy said. I’ve had a lot of bad jobs. This is definitely not one of them.”

Romero, as both a former client and current general manager, echoed Gilroy’s sentiment.

“Before I even started working here, I was a customer,” Romero said. “I’ve always felt that coming to Club420 here in Davis, as well as Dixon, we listen to everything. We genuinely want to help.”

Written By: Piper Aweeka — city@theaggie.org

For the third consecutive year, the Thai restaurant was voted as a favorite amongst UC Davis students

By MATTHEW MCELDOWNEY — city@theaggie.org

Topping the list of hot spots in Davis’ bar scene, Sophia’s Thai Kitchen came out as a standout favorite. The restaurant opened from the kitchen of another bar as Davis’ first Thai restaurant in 1995, but it was not until 2001 that the founder and owner, Kevin Wan, had the opportunity to open this bar with his college friends.

“What other opportunity are you going to have as a 22-year-old to open up a bar with your friends?” Wan said.

From the bar’s journey as a business made up of UC Davis alumni to today, Sophia’s Thai Kitchen has made its mark on the Davis bar scene. Sophia’s Thai Kitchen was the first bar to have a mojito on its menu, the first bar to host a trivia night and one of the few bars to outlast the pandemic. This success can be attributed to the bar’s outdoor space, music and overall good vibes, according to Wan.

“I think we cultivate that cozy vibe — a third space,” Wan said. “We have strived to be that place, whether it is [through] the lighting, the music, having comfortable chairs, a nice outdoor deck or being in the middle of downtown where it is not a far walk.”

Vikram Gopalan, a fourth-year materials science and engineering major, was not surprised that Sophia’s Thai Kitchen was voted to be Davis’ best bar.

“The staff is just super super nice, and they have some fun drinks there, too,” Gopalan said.

In particular, Gopalan enjoyed the bar’s trivia nights, describing it as the best of Davis and in no small part due to its host: Wan. Gopalan described what sets Wan apart as a host from other trivia spots in Davis.

“[Wan] is so awesome at reading the team names every single time we go,” Gopalan said. “We have this running joke where we put one of our friends’ names down and have some contact information like their LinkedIn or their phone number, like they’re available — they’re single! And, [Wan] will actually do it.”

Angeline Gatchalian, a fourth-year anthropology major, described her experience at Sophia’s Thai Kitchen.

“It’s always super energetic in there,” Gatchalian said. “I don’t go there very often, but when I do, the energy is up and it’s super nice to be there.”

As a longtime owner, Wan described this loyal, enduring support that Sophia’s Thai Kitchen has received.

“We just had Picnic Day, so a lot of [the time], alumni come back after a long time, and we saw some old faces — people that have not come to the bar in 20 years,” Wan said.

While the COVID-19 pandemic had hit the bar scene in Davis hard, Wan is honored that Sophia’s Thai Kitchen has remained a mainstay. Moreover, Wan feels happy that this scene is healing as Davis begins to see a diverse group of new bars opening up and establishing themselves downtown.

“I’m encouraged now that there [are] more bars opening up now, because more bars in Davis is healthier for the whole scene,” Wan said. “There’s enough business in town for everybody.”

Written by: Matthew Mceldowney — city@theaggie.org

How the local bookstore strengthens and celebrates the Davis community with books.

By KATYA OKS — city@theaggie.org

Located in Downtown Davis on 617 2nd St., The Avid Reader is an all-time favorite for UC Davis students. With wide glass windows showcasing displays of books that span from national favorites to releases from local authors, the bookstore has played an integral part in creating the welcoming and familial atmosphere and attitude of the town of Davis.

The Avid Reader is an “independent bookstore that has been serving the community since 1987 […] a beloved local institution that offers a wide selection of books, gifts, toys, and children’s items,” according to their website.

Evalynn Farkas, a bookseller at Avid, recounts how she found out about The Avid Reader and what drew her to find work at the store.

“I’ve always loved books my whole life,” Farkas said. “The bookstore was the friendliest place; it was the first place I went to visit [when I moved here.]”

Farkas explained how the welcoming environment of the bookstore has introduced her to a tight-knit community of people who have become a safe space for her.

“The people here in the store have become my best friends,” Farkas said. “They’re the best people to be with in town. […] One of my coworkers even showed me how to bike and got me a bike.”

The community between coworkers has also permeated the relations between workers and customers. Workers, such as Farkas, pride themselves on the personal connections that are made, which encourage deeper discussion through and about storytelling.

“It’s nice to be able to actually have one-on-one moments with people and to be able to hear what they’re passionate about,” Farkas said. “Some of the [customers] are so willing to converse and teach you things too.”

In addition to having a friendly and welcoming community, The Avid Reader has prioritized holding events to celebrate diversity. Each month, their official website and physical bookstore spotlight books that celebrate marginalized communities and their achievements, taking part in the observance of Autism Awareness Month, Women’s History Month, Muslim-American Heritage Month and many more.

Farkas highlighted how the bookstore has become a space for inclusivity, safety and a thriving community, not only for her but for the town of Davis as a whole. She loves to see the variety in topics and identities that are featured in the books they sell and believes it helps empower the Davis community as a whole.

“[The community] is also very LGBT-friendly,” Farkas said. “I come from a city where it wasn’t so friendly to be open about not being straight. It’s been really refreshing to have a community of people who are very welcoming, no matter who you are.”

The Avid Reader has also become a hotspot for hosting local authors and events — allowing authors to share insight on their experiences and writing processes as well as bridging the gap between authors and customers.

Elliot George, a supervising manager for the store, talked about the impact of author events on the community and reading experience.

“[Hosting events] just present opportunities for people to come together,” George said. “Maybe not every single author is super-duper famous, but it’s so cool to be able to ask people about their experiences. […] We had an author, a few weeks ago, who in the ‘70s or ‘80s had come up to Norway or some European country, to help out on a farm and […] basically had to run the whole thing on their own. It was a really cool thing to hear from this person, of course, be able to talk to them and have their book here.”

George also said how the collaborative nature of their community has allowed for a more curated and personalized experience when shopping. In addition to many mainstream novels and books, The Avid Reader also loves to find more niche and curated titles, as a reflection of the broader Davis community.

“There’s a book on the shelf, ‘The Perfume Collector,’ that probably doesn’t get a lot of sales in other bookstores, but one of our previous staff members has been so passionate in promoting it, […] she was out there, you know, getting people to read it,” George said. “We have the ability to promote a single title like that and be passionate about it.”

Farkas reiterated the importance of reading as a hobby and finding community from that.

“I just hope that people, if anything, get to find refuge in books more than the onslaught of doomsday news,” Farkas said. “It’s nice to put down your phones sometimes and just read [to escape].”

Check out The Avid Reader on 617 2nd St. and their official website for upcoming events.

Written By: Katya Oks — city@theaggie.org