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Quincy liquor store to close

George liquor store to remain open

Chuck Allen/editor@qvpr.com
Jan. 26, 2012

Barb Gottschalk will be stepping out from behind the counter of the local liquor store on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

For nearly three decades, Barb Gottschalk has operated the liquor store in Quincy. She will permanently close the doors to her business at the end of the day on Tuesday, Jan. 31. When that happens, Quincy will be without a liquor store for at least four months, thanks to the passage of Initiative-1183, which privatizes liquor sales in the state.

Gottschalk operates a private business that contracts with the state to sell liquor in Quincy. She gave the state a required six-month notice last year that she planned to retire and she had several people interested in purchasing her business and assuming the local contract. But, because of I-1183, the contract was voided by the voters in November. Gottschalk said I-1183 will cost her some money because she no longer has a business to sell, (Her inventory is owned by the state, so she will not have to worry about how to liquidate the products.) but the initiative wasn’t the reason why she decided to retire.

“I had already planned to do it and gave my notice before the vote,” Gottschalk said. “I do think it is unfortunate that Quincy will be without a liquor store for at least four months.”

According to I-1183, retailers with a state license to sell liquor can begin sales on June 1. Eligible liquor sellers include former liquor-store locations and supermarket retailers with more than 10,000 square feet. (Akins Harvest Foods and the new Quincy Market are the two locations in Quincy that would be eligible to sell liquor, along with the space Gottschalk has rented for the past eight years.)

From Feb. 1 to June 1, the only place in the Quincy Valley that will sell liquor is the George Scales, which also operates under a state contract.

Tracy Kissler, manager of the business, said he intends to keep the store open as a private licensed seller after June 1, but there will likely be some changes.

Kissler said small businesses like his will not be able to afford the large variety of products the state can put on the shelves.

“We will have to purchase the inventory,” he said. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to keep the same kind of variety. Right now, we have 20 or 30 different kinds of vodka, which is a huge variety for this size of town. In June, we’ll be lucky to have three or four varieties. Buying the inventory is going to be a big hit for smaller stores like us. The expectation of the customer will have to change.”

As for Gottschalk, she said the one thing she’ll miss the most about her business is the customers.

“I have really enjoyed the people,” Gottschalk said. “I’ve met a lot of interesting people. I’ve enjoyed living in Quincy and having a business here.”

Gottschalk has mostly run the business on her own, with some help from family during the busy times. The busiest times were usually Gorge concert weekends.

“We’d have a lot of people stop in here on concert weekends,” she said. “Those concerts have been a huge contributer to the economy. They have helped my business. They help Akins, the motels and many other businesses.”

She said most of her customers have been great.

“I’ve had people come in drunk or be obnoxious and I’ve had to tell them they are going to have to leave,” she said. “They usually come back and are really nice the next day.”

Gottschalk said she has been encouraging people to go to the George Scales when she closes.

When she retires, she plans to spend more time with her husband, Jack, and their four children and eight grandchildren.

“It’s been an interesting experience and now I’m ready to do more fishing with Jack and be with my grandkids,” she said.