A new state-owned liquor and wine store in the State College area is ready to open its doors.
Fine Wine & Good Spirits will hold its grand opening at 1536 N. Atherton St. in Ferguson Township on Thursday, according to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. With the opening of the new location in the renovated former Rite Aid building, the nearby store at 1682 N. Atherton St. in the Village Square plaza is now closed.
To celebrate the opening, the new store will offer 10% off on all in-store wines, spirits and accessories between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. on Thursday. Free product tastings will be offered from noon to 10 p.m.
“This new FW&GS Premium Collection offers consumers an expanded shopping experience with a new floor plan, warm and welcoming environment and greater selection,” the PLCB wrote in a release on Wednesday.
The store’s “enhanced selection of fine wine and premium spirits,” includes Chairman’s Selection products, “which are hand-selected, highly rated wines often at the best prices nationwide” as well as a “Made in Pennsylvania” section, according to the location’s website.
The PLCB in December approved moving forward with plans to open a new store in the 11,400-square-foot former Rite Aid and close the Village Square location.
“We want to make sure that the residents of State College, our loyal customers, have a beautiful new store that meets their needs well into the future,” PLCB press secretary Shawn Kelly said at the time.
“The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is always looking at trends and demographics to determine where we put stores. We look for places where the community shops. We look for places with ample parking and easy customer access. So it’s a constant process that happens in every store across the state. We’re always keeping our options open. We’re always taking a look at what’s available, what would best serve our customers.”
The new store will be open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
According to the Fine Wine & Good Spirits website, the new North Atherton Street location will host a wine tasting and bottle signing with rock band All Time Low from 4 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 22. The band has had its own line of wines since 2017.
Centre County is home to six Fine Wine & Good Spirits store, including four in the immediate State College area. Kelly said in December the PLCB has “done a lot of work” to enhance the shopping experience in the area in recent years, including moving the South Atherton Street store from the Hills Plaza to Southridge Plaza in 2016 and the Bellefonte area store’s relocation from downtown to the Weis Markets plaza on Buckaroo Lane.
“We always look for a new opportunity to give customers the best possible experience they can get,” Kelly said.
A previous version of this article stated there are eight Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores in Centre County. There are six.
