It depends on what you're trying to build. Sunflare's core services (Custom Build or Network License) are the right fit if you want your own distinct brand built from scratch. Corner Cloud Co. is a lighter-touch vape and glassware category installed inside an existing store. Smoke Haven is a full smoke shop — branding, contractor-coordinated buildout, and ongoing supply — that works as a standalone store or built into an existing location. If you're not sure, reach out and we'll point you the right direction.

Our focus is convenience and smoke retail specifically — gas stations, convenience stores, and smoke shops. That focus is intentional. We understand the compliance requirements, payment processing complexity, and local competition this industry deals with in a way generic agencies don't.

The Custom Build is a one-time investment in a brand that's entirely yours — unique logo, custom website, and full IP transfer on delivery. You own it outright with no ongoing fees to us. The Network License is structured as a flat monthly retainer plus a performance-based percentage, giving you access to our proven master system, continuous updates, and ongoing support. The right choice depends on whether you're prioritizing full ownership or a lower upfront commitment with ongoing infrastructure backing.

Timelines vary based on scope, but a full Custom Build — brand identity, website, and media — typically runs 4 to 8 weeks from signed agreement to launch. We set hard milestone dates in your proposal and hold to them. If your opening date is fixed, tell us upfront and we'll build the schedule around it.

Both. We work with first-time operators building from scratch and with established shops that have outgrown their current brand or website. If your existing presence isn't performing — weak foot traffic, dated look, no local SEO — we can audit what you have and rebuild from there. You don't need to be starting from zero to work with us.

Not much upfront. A discovery call is all it takes to get the ball rolling — we'll cover your location, your market, your existing assets (if any), and your timeline. From there we handle the research and put together a full proposal. The more context you give us about your customers and competition, the sharper the deliverables. But we don't need you to have everything figured out before we talk.

Custom Build clients receive everything — all files, source assets, domain credentials, and hosting access — and are free to manage their presence independently. Before we hand it off, we walk you and your staff through how to actually use it — managing the site, working the loyalty system, anything POS-integrated. We don't hold anything hostage and we don't leave you guessing. If you want ongoing support, updates, or a retainer arrangement after delivery, that's available and we can discuss terms. Network License clients have continuous support built into the engagement by design.

Corner Cloud Co. installs a merchandised vape and glassware category inside your existing store. We supply the product, handle merchandising and restocking, and manage returns — your existing staff just rings up the sale. It's a lighter-touch program than a full shop buildout, designed for gas stations, convenience stores, and dispensaries that want to run this category well without becoming a dedicated smoke shop.

No new hires needed. Your existing staff handles the sale exactly like anything else in your store. Corner Cloud Co. doesn't staff or operate the point of sale — we supply, merchandise, and restock the category, and provide product training at launch and on an ongoing basis so your team knows what's on the shelf.

The core program is the same, but the situation is different — you already have foot traffic, so the question is whether your current floor space is working as hard as it could. Display and adjacency regulations for cannabis retail vary by state, so we confirm what's allowed at your specific location and design the section accordingly before anything goes in. Visit the Corner Cloud Co. page for more detail on how this works for dispensaries specifically.

Corner Cloud Co. is a single category — vape and glassware — installed inside a store you already operate. Smoke Haven is a full smoke shop, with its own brand and a much wider product range, that can stand alone or be built into an existing location. Corner Cloud is the lighter install; Smoke Haven is the complete shop.

Smoke Haven is a complete smoke shop brand — tobacco, vapes, glass, and accessories — built to look and feel like the familiar independent smoke shop people already trust, backed by real branding and a steady supply pipeline. It works as a standalone store or built into an existing gas station or convenience store.

Branding and signage come from us directly. For fixtures and construction, we connect you with contractors we already trust — the buildout itself is a separate, contracted job, and we're upfront about that split before you commit to anything.

Your store keeps its own retail licensing and handles point-of-sale age verification, same as it already would for any age-restricted product. Smoke Haven manages compliance on the supply side, for the product we provide. We'll walk through exactly where that line sits before anything is signed.

Embercade is a boutique smoke and lounge concept — premium glass and vape, a cigar selection, and real lounge seating built for people to actually stay a while. It's a standalone destination only, not something installed inside an existing store, and it carries its own distinct, fixed design across every location.

No. Embercade requires a larger standalone footprint to support the lounge experience — real seating, TVs, and room to host events — which doesn't work as an install inside a gas station or convenience store the way Corner Cloud or Smoke Haven can.

The operator, entirely. Obtaining and holding any liquor license is solely the operator's responsibility — Sunflare does not hold, facilitate, or provide legal guidance on alcohol licensing. We can consult on bar layout and vendor connections, but licensing and compliance are yours to secure independently.

It can, if you want it to. This is an optional design consideration, not a standard feature of every Embercade — some operators want the room to flex into a private event space for corporate meetings, private parties, or product launches outside of regular lounge hours. What sets it apart from a typical conference room is that Embercade's own cigar selection and service can be offered as part of the booking. We'll discuss whether this fits your space during the site assessment.

Shoprally is a real, established training and engagement platform for retail staff — not AI, not a chatbot. It comes with training guides, instructional videos, and learning modules built around your product lineup, plus sales contests and leaderboards. It's one proven system rather than something rebuilt from scratch for each client, so you get the depth of a platform that's already been refined. Visit shoprally.work to see it in full.

No. Shoprally is available as a standalone service for any store, whether or not you're already working with Sunflare on a website or buildout. It's also available bundled with any Custom Build or Network License engagement.

Not unless you choose to make it. Every portal is private to your own staff by default. Opting in to the wider network — comparing leaderboards against other Sunflare clients, Corner Cloud locations, or Smoke Haven shops — is entirely your call.