When I walked into The Reef this Thursday there were construction workers running about, people installing signs and sanding the edges off things that needed to be sanded, and a constant flow of people running in and out trying to make sure Seattle's newest pot shop opens on time. Yet the space never for a moment felt claustrophobic.

Being comfortable with a crowd is a good sign for this new dispensary on Capitol Hill, which given just its location alone on the uphill corner of Denny Way and Olive Way will likely be filled with customers as soon as its doors open. Its owners told me they hope to be selling by Friday.

The space is also far more than just a large room. The interior was designed by Olson Kundig, the award-winning Seattle architectural firm that the Seattle Times described as "the present-day Beatles of architectural design."

Olson Kundig filled the space with quiet and agreeable details—a wood-paneled dividing wall, a backlit storage area set against a blue wall—and did a good job of dividing the room between two service counters. One side of the dispensary is dedicated to fast service, selling only joints and pre-ordered items. Aaron Bennett, co-owner of The Reef, said this is specifically targeting the late night crowd.

"We feel like a lot of people are just coming in to buy a quick joint and especially the after hours and the bar crowd. A lot of those folks that are hanging out across the street just want a quick joint and they can do this quickly without having to wait in line with people that are trying to learn about different terpenes," Bennett said.

The other half of the store has a wrap around bar where customers can take time to learn more about different products and things like terpenes, those extremely important aromatic compounds that you should know all about. Bennett said they were inspired by visiting dispensaries in Portland, where pot shopping experiences are universally better than in Seattle in my opinion.

"In a lot of those stores you almost feel like you're going into a jewelry store," Bennett said. "Our inspiration was to have the more curated experience with knowledgeable budtenders that can display the product in larger containers, more like ounces, and make it look elegant and beautiful, instead of having a bunch of little bags lined up."

Bennett and his partners clearly invested a lot into the design of the shop, especially considering they paid $1.7 million for the building, which is one of the few remaining areas where a pot shop can still legally open on Capitol Hill. Bennett said he invested in this area for a reason.

"I think we felt more comfortable and confident doing it in this location, we felt obligated in a positive way to do it because the location is so good," Bennett said. "It's an iconic corner with a cool building, we wouldn't feel comfortable being Seattle guys and putting up something we aren't proud of."

Bennett said he was born and raised on Capitol Hill and wants the shop to be a socially conscious member of the neighborhood.

"Our goal is to be an integral part of the community, we want to be an institution that gives back," Bennett said. "We really want to be associated positively with doing things for the Capitol Hill community."

I'll be watching to find out how they do.