Ure’s Country Kitchen has found success in Ontario's expanded beverage alcohol market
When it comes to beverage alcohol, timing can be everything — but so can execution.
Such is the case with Ure’s Country Kitchen, a multi-stop spot that includes a c-store, restaurant, ice cream parlour and mini-golf course in Harrow, Ont. The rural community draws cottages and campers and sits within the Lake Erie North Shore wine region.
The destination only began selling beverage alcohol in-store a few months ago, after construction was completed on an 8-ft. by 25-ft. walk-in cooler. The cooler features heavy-duty shelving, glass entry doors and a scissors lift connecting to the newly waterproofed basement for additional stock.
“The contractor looked at us like we were idiots when we told him about our idea for the basement,” says Randy Ure, who with his wife, Laurie, have operated Ure’s Country Kitchen for more than 35 years.
But the set up has proven ingenious.
The walk-in cooler keeps beer and RTDs including popular pack varieties in one central place and ice-cold — “colder than the Beer Store,” as one customer put it — while the lift allows staff to move cases from the basement without breaking their backs.
Gliders on the shelves ensure items are always front-facing and easy to grab, keeping the cooler organized even during busy periods.
Wine, meanwhile, is kept in its own dedicated chiller and on about four feet of shelving, since it doesn’t need the same cold as beer or RTDs to maintain its flavour and preserve quality.
READ: Ure’s Country Kitchen: Rural charm with important ‘links’ to its community
Just as importantly, the design meant refrigeration space for staples like energy drinks and soft drinks didn’t have to be sacrificed. With the added capacity in the 1,000-sq.-ft. basement, the store also solved the challenge of keeping popular items in supply and avoiding out-of-stock situations during busy periods.
The investment wasn’t for the faint of heart.
Between the walk-in cooler, lift, shelving, wine chiller, and basement renovations, the Ures spent over five figures — financed in part through a Business Development Bank loan.
To cover the payments and stay on schedule with knocking down the principal, they calculated they’d need to generate at least $400 in sales per day, or about $2,800 per week.
“Sales are doing amazingly well — between $5,000 and $7,000 per week,” enthuses Laurie Ure.
The success hasn’t just been in the setup. The Ures and the staff listen to customers, asking shoppers what brands and sizes they want.
That hands-on approach has led to unexpected hits like Blue Lobster vodka soda, brewed in Nova Scotia.
“A customer from Amherstburg told us she had to drive 30 miles for Blue Lobster because the local LCBO wasn’t carrying it anymore,” says Randy Ure. “Now we’re not just selling it to her, we’re selling it to everyone. It’s become one of our hottest items.”
“I bring customers right over to my computer, and look up on the CMS, ‘Is this what you’re looking for?’ adds Laurie Ure.
A customer ask also led to the introduction of another big seller, Happy Dad Hard Seltzer & Tea. “When he came in a week later, holding a pack of it, he said, ‘I am a happy dad!’ We both laughed and he said, ‘I didn’t actually think you’d listen to me and carry it,” she recalls. “He went away and told other people, and now we’re selling a lot of it, so much so that we increased our stock to 12 packs.”
The owners expect sales to dip once summer is over.
But the recent announcement that The Beer Store in Harrow is closing this October is likely to drive more customers to Ure’s Country Kitchen.
Wine shelving will also be expanded to six feet, anticipating greater demands for it with cooler weather and holidays like Thanksgiving.
