The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB), along with management, employees, and community members, gathered on Thursday for the grand opening of the new Fine Wine & Good Spirits Premium Collection at 1536 N. Atherton St.
The state-owned liquor store formerly located at 1688 N. Atherton S.t is now closed and has moved to the new location, which was previously home to Rite Aid. With the upgrade, this store now has wine specialists available to help customers with their wine selections.
“I’m very proud to welcome you to this new store,” PLCB deputy executive director Doug Hitz said at the start of the ribbon cutting ceremony. “We’ve been wanting to improve our presence on this side of the borough for years. It was very difficult to find the right spot, and you can see that we have found a good spot. So this is us renewing our commitment to Central Pennsylvania and having a brainstorm on this side of the borough.”
The new location has more than 6,450 square feet of retail space, selling more than 4,400 wines and spirits, including luxury products, Premium Collection spirits and the Chairman’s Selection products, which are highly rated wines available at discounts from nationally quoted prices.
The new store offers “a warm, welcoming atmosphere for consumers to browse the extensive selection,” according to a news release. The store also has a new “Made in Pennsylvania” section, showcasing wines and spirits produced in the commonwealth.
“It took about 65 Fine Wine and Good Spirits team members to rebrand and restock this store and move it from down the street…,” Hitz said. “If you haven’t been in one of our newer stores, this is our new store layout. We have wider aisles, more attractive color palette, better product displays. We have products from just about every country that produces wine and spirits, including very proud manufacturers here in PA.”
The PLCB regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in Pennsylvania, while operating roughly 575 wine and spirits stores statewide and licensing more than 20,000 alcohol producers, retailers and handlers. The board also works to prevent underage drinking through partnerships with schools, community groups, and licensees.
“One of our important missions is alcohol education, and it’s something that we take seriously and spend quite a bit of money on,” Hitz said. “The PLCB has issued billions of dollars in alcohol education over the last 24 years in schools, colleges and law enforcement. Last summer, we announced new grants totaling more than $3.3 million for 86 recipients of Paris. That includes $81,000 here in Centre County.”
In honor of the grand opening, all in-store wines, spirits, and accessories were 10% off during regular business hours on Thursday, Aug. 7.
The North Atherton Fine Wine & Good Spirits Premium Collection will be open from 9 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays.
