ESTEVAN — The newest liquor store in Estevan has the assortment of products that one would expect to find, but it also has some services that are unique to the city.
The Local Buzz Liquor Store, located at 126 Fourth Street, opened for business on Oct. 4. It's a beer, wine and spirits store, said general manager Kandyce Meili, with products to meet various price ranges. They also have a number of Saskatchewan products in their inventory.
Cary Wock, who is one of the partners in the business, said it is exciting to be open and to show the public what they have to offer. Additional products will be offered in the future.
"We're finding more and more different things as we go here. People are contacting us to bring certain things in," said Wock.
They're getting to know more people in the craft alcohol sector, and craft beer has been a big seller so far.
"If it's something that we don't have, we will do our best to bring it in if people are interested in it," said Meili.
Business has been good thus far, said Meili, and it helped that Local Buzz opened before Thanksgiving.
"There's definitely been days that are busier than others, but it's been fairly steady as more and more people find out that we're open," Meili said.
The business is locally owned and operated and they want to be part of the community. The partners in the business are Wock and his wife Shauna, Jared Schlamp and his wife Kristen, and Jeremy Mack and his wife Robyn Luedtke. Mack and Wock own the Innovative ALS oilfield business, and they've been friends with Schlamp for a long time.
"We wanted to diversify from what we already have going and get into something a little different so that all your eggs aren't in one basket. We felt the community needed something that can have everything from low-end to high-end liquors with different varieties," said Wock.
A top shelf in the store has some more expensive items that can't be found elsewhere in town, they said. A walk-in cooler contains their beer and some other types of alcohol.
Local Buzz Liquor has a drive-thru option as well.
"We figured the drive-through would be very handy for a lot of people in the city," said Wock.
While menu boards are still in the works, the concept is similar to what one would find at a restaurant. Customers can order what they want from their vehicle and then head to the pick-up window.
"Usually it's those who know what they want who we find going through the drive-thru, and then everybody else comes in to look around and see what they want," said Wock.
"There's definitely the novelty aspect of driving through the drive-thru to order liquor that brings some people through," added Meili.
She believes it's also beneficial for those who are in a hurry and don't want to go into the store, look for what they want and possibly wait in line. It should also be good for parents who are driving their kids around and don't have to worry about taking them into a store.
The drive-thru is also open a couple hours longer than the store, except for on Sundays. The
The store is open until 10 p.m. from Mondays to Thursdays, until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and 8 p.m. on Sundays.
Also unique to the business is the Buzz Bucks loyalty program. People earn one per cent from their purchases to future buys, and the Buzz Bucks don't expire.
The opening of the new company has been a long time coming. The sign for the business was installed a couple years ago but the store never opened. It went up for sale in the summer and that's when Wock, Mack and Schlamp pounced. Meili was tasked with hiring the staff, and Wock said she has been doing an "awesome" job. Fourteen people work at Local Buzz Liquor.
The building required some renovations before it could open. Customers have been understanding as the initial kinks are worked out.
"Everybody likes the look and the feel when they walk into the store. The atmosphere feels good to them, and the store looks good. I think everybody's been pretty happy so far," said Meili.
