Southside Spirits holds grand reopening

by Charles Gerian

Southside Spirits held a grand “re-opening” ribbon cutting last Friday with the Blackwell Area Chamber of Commerce recognizing the liquor store's new owners, Ron and Lesley Miller, who took over from T.J. Greenfield earlier this month.

“We're very excited,” Ron Miller said during the ribbon cutting, “my wife and I both see this as a job to retire with- something we can enjoy that keeps us busy but also lets us kick back.”

Lesley was a former employee at Southside, and recounted being offered the ownership and initially turning it down before her and her husband decided to go for it.

“Nervous,” Ron added, “nervous and excited. We want to get people in here and continue to offer more than just liquor and wine. We're looking to expand our craft beer selection and experiment with getting new brands and types of alcohol. We really want something for everyone,” said Ron, “we're offering a loyalty program where customers can come in and get their card stamped, then get 15% off their purchase after the card is filled.”

Currently, a special display is up to promote their selection of Valentine's Day items such as a Tequila Rose gift box, chocolate liqueur, gift bags, balloons, and more. An event was held Saturday featuring Big Time BBQ which attracted a sizable crowd to promote Southside's new ownership.

“Although we are going to miss seeing our great customers and employees, we are excited for Lesley and Ron on their recent purchase of our store that we opened in 2011,” former owner T.J. Greenfield said, “we hope they continue to have the same great success that we have had over the years from the support of the community.”