BUSINESS: The Bottle Shop

Formerly 33rd Street Wine & Spirits, The Bottle Shop, located at 13516 N. Eastern at Memorial, is not your typical liquor store.

The common response from customers is that it looks bigger on the inside than the outside. They have casual sitting areas where customers can sit down and read a magazine or have a discussion.

The owner, Hal Abel, has owned a pharmacy in Jones for the last 30 years. His new manager, Jevon Hart, has been with the store for the last three years. He has two part-time salesmen, Dylan Swanson and Matt Stanley, who also possess a passion for wine knowledge.

Jevon strives to keep new products stocked, create new displays and offer new ideas to his customers. He tends to surprise people with a mixture of his knowledge and youthful appearance. He and his crew keep up with the trends through research and the information they obtain through their wine reps.

“There are so many different variations of liquors, wines and beers. We engage people and take the time to sit and talk with them. If I don’t know the answer, I will research it for them and get them an answer. I think that is what separates us from the usual liquor store.”

Their rows of wine racks have “shelf-talkers” describing the wines. This allows the customer to browse at their leisure. Jevon and his team stand by ready to offer more information if a customer desires. “You can just tell when someone wants to do their own thing. I’ve also had customers come in early in the day, and I’ll sit and talk with them for twenty minutes about wines, scotches and beers,” Jevon explained.

They often partner with neighboring businesses to do charity wine tastings. In October, they hosted one for the Mastiff Rescue. There were treats for the dogs and wine for the people, as well as music. “People were actually doing conga lines, dancing. We’re planning another fundraising event for Eric White who does the Pitbull Rescue,” Jevon announced.

In October, they booked an event for Keller Williams at a lavish, million-dollar open house, booking a Jazz Trio at their own expense. “Usual wine parties are just a table where you pour and go. We like to pay attention to the smaller details, mingle and get to know people. We want our clients to feel like they are getting a full package, not just a couple glasses of wine.”

Customers can get 10% off wines and champagnes on Tuesdays, unlimited quantities. The same discount applies if bought by the case any day of the week. They often run specials when they obtain stock in quantity at a discount. They have coupons in the Edmond Outlook for 10% off.

For more information call the store at 286-1619 or check out their website at www.bottleshopokc.com.