Anyone ever run / own a liquor store?

[FortFunFoSho]

I am curious about a business Idea. And would like to find someone who knows something about the liquor store business.

 

[acemcmac]

How do you say.... "barriers to market entry?" :laugh:

What state are you in?

 

[Schadenfreude]

No clue, but you'd make a killing if you set up shop near a college campus . . ..

 

[FortFunFoSho]

I am in Michigan.. What sort of barriers to entry are there? I can't imagine it is that difficult. I see liquor stores on every corner.

 

[WannaFly]

well, i know in orlando there are x amount of licenses to sell liqour, once they are all gone they are all gone, you have to wait for someone to close hah. At least, that was a few years ago, there was a big deal about it i guess.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Check the state laws regarding liquor sales. In VA the ABC stores are all state owned and run.

 

[TheNinja]

I hear the get robbed a lot. Get yourself a handful of ninja stars or a shotgun, your choice.

 

[mwtgg]

You need a license in PA to open a beer distributor, but the Spirits shops are all run by the state.

I don't know about Michigan.

 

[AlienCraft]

I ran a nightclub affiliated with a liquor store in Auburn CA, back in the early 90's. The owner used to buy up other liquor store who had either gone belly up or had suffered fires, usually buying their inventory for pennies on the dollar.
Wipe of the soot and such and then re-sell the items. He made serious bank as he wasn't paying regular wholesale prices for the booze.

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: FortFunFoSho
I am in Michigan.. What sort of barriers to entry are there? I can't imagine it is that difficult. I see liquor stores on every corner.

Well, for one you're not Arabic.

I haven't seen a non-arabic owned party store in 20 years, in Michigan.

 

[MDE]

I work at one in suburban Chicago, anything I may be able to answer?

 

[kermalou]

he suppliers ae mostly the mob, yes the mob and it exists

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: WannaFly
well, i know in orlando there are x amount of licenses to sell liqour, once they are all gone they are all gone, you have to wait for someone to close hah. At least, that was a few years ago, there was a big deal about it i guess.

Same in Connecticut. There are a finite number of liquor store permits and there are no new ones issued. The only way to get one is to buy it from the current owner. As you might imagine it's a sellers market and they go for a fairly high price. It takes quite a while to recoup your original investment since the permit is so expensive. On the bright side, owning a liquor permit is like owning prime real estate, there will always be buyers if you want to sell.

Running a liquor store is like running any other small business. You're in a constant battle with your competitors. Location is key and you need more common sense then business school courses. Expect to work a lot of hours. Finding trustworthy staff is a major bitch.

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

just brew your own you slacker!

 

[ravana]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Check the state laws regarding liquor sales. In VA the ABC stores are all state owned and run.

Yeah, the first couple of weekends, I drove around looking for signs of liqour stores, then someone told me about the abc Package stores....doh!

 

[FortFunFoSho]

MDE: YHPM

 

[axelfox]

Long hours and "protection" money

 

[Slacker]

Did somebody call me?

Anyway, I used to live above a liquor store in D.C. Good times, good times