Meeting the Demand

Jolley Alburgh Bridge store offers a wide selection of spirits and great prices

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. Case in point is the Jolley store located near the bridge in Alburgh, Grand Isle County, just a few miles from New York and the Canadian border.

Rob Reyome, a supervisor for Jolley, explains that Alburgh did not have an agency liquor store for nearly three years until the Jolley family decided it wanted

BY ROBERT COOK

to get into the liquor business.

Reyome said they took an unused space within their convenience store and turned it into an agency liquor store. So far, it’s been a great success.

“There wasn’t one in the area, and Jolley hasn’t had a liquor store before. Shawn (Bartlett) decided to make use of dormant space in the store,” says Reyome about his boss. “It’s been pretty stagnant up in the area, and there haven’t been a lot of opportunities for stores to have a liquor store.”

The Covid-19 pandemic forced a number of retail businesses to close in Alburgh, but the demand represented by New York State customers to the west and Canadian customers to the north never ceased.

By putting in a full line of Vermont spirits and a broad line of other liquor varieties, Reyome said Jolley is providing a steady supply to meet the demand. They officially opened the new liquor store within their larger retail space on Nov. 16. The challenge for them now is to make sure people know it exists.

Located on the northern end of Lake Champlain, Alburgh has a little more than 2,000 residents. It serves as a gateway community for New Yorkers, which lies west on Route 2 and Canadians from Quebec Province north on Route 225.

Reyome said the nine-year old store is blessed with great parking, easy access from the main road and is well lit. They also have a customer-friendly staff who are learning more about the spirits they sell to better serve their patrons. “Our hope is to make it a destination stop,” Reyome adds.

They plan to do this by adding a few other offerings at their location to provide customers with coffee, food items, convenience store products and spirits.

The new liquor store has been especially welcome for New York residents. Before Jolley opened its new agency store, Empire State residents would have to travel much farther, and pay more, to get the bourbons, whiskeys and other spirits they coveted.

Now they only have to travel less than 30 minutes to get to Reyome's store, where they find prices that are typically lower than in their home state. Reyome admits that is one of the advantages of having a Vermont agency store: The prices are the same statewide.

“If you head to New York, it’s like the wild west. Prices can, and often do, vary from store to store,” says Reyome. Whatever the Jolley in Alburgh does not currently have in stock for spirits, Reyome makes it a point to add to his store shelves.

“What we try to do is make sure the local people get what they want every day, whether that be a less expensive vodka or higher-end Tequila. The higher-end, harder-to-get items like bourbons have become a focal point for consumers. Those consumers will drive in search of elusive brands.”

“First and foremost, Jolley is a local Vermont family that likes to take care of looking to hire good people,” Reyome says. To that end, they offer higher-than-average wages and a benefits package for their full-time employees.

At Jolley, the store maintains a friendly environment where staff members enjoy coming to work. It is a culture fostered by the Jolley family. Reyome said one of the advantages of working for a family-owned business is that employees know they are valued.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Jolley family stood by its employees and did everything they could to keep their stores in business and people employed when many other businesses closed.

Vermont customers. They have been in business for the last 75 years!”

Store manager Susan Hakey has worked there for 8 years, almost as long as the store has been open, bringing 36 years of experience in the convenience industry. To say she is an invaluable member of the team is an understatement.

The new liquor store within the Jolley in Alburgh has 300 linear feet of shelving within 380 square feet of space. “It’s set up to handle several people at a time,” Reyome adds.

Before they added an agency liquor store to their business, Jolley already boasted a strong wine and craft beer selection at their convenience store. They also employ up to seven people.

Like many businesses, Jolley struggles to find available labor. “We’re always

As difficult as the pandemic was for their business, Reyome said it also “forced us to think outside of the box” and look at the new opportunities that were created in its wake.

Reyome says the Jolley family has plans to make their store a true destination for Vermonters, Canadians and New Yorkers.

“We have enough of a variety available so that if people cannot get a specific item, they can get something comparable,” Reyome explains. “If I can’t get it for them, I will try to find a way to help them get it on their own.”