Back in mid 2010 we made the decision that it was time to spread our online wings and start up a physical bottle shop. Being based in Sydney we knew the city was crying out for a good quality beer store so decided it was up to us to take on the challenge…

The process has been a little testing (understatement!), but we are getting there…. First of all began the search for a suitable store; an interesting task assisted by a few business brokers who were keen to get a sale on their books. After 3 months of looking with no real standouts, we came across a liquor store based in Artarmon, on Sydney’s lower North Shore – it seemed like a reasonable option; it was located in a suburb relatively close to home, the area attracted good traffic, the store had a lot of room for improvement and there was a part of the shop that could be transformed into a tasting room – a must for any good beer store!

Once the decision to buy was made the next step was to get funding – a somewhat ominous task for any new business. After discussions with business financiers and a couple of banks we finally nailed down our best option. We then entered contract negotiations for the business which with the “assistance” of lawyers was an experience I think Geoff isn’t in a hurry for again!

Finally on the 25th of January we took ownership of the store and have set about slowly modifying it to meet our vision of being Sydney’s premier beer store, introducing our growing range of craft beer from Australia and overseas. This is still very much in development but we see great things for 2011 and beyond.

If you are in the area why not drop in – the store is a Porter’s Liquor branded bottle shop located at Unit 9, 87 Reserve Road, Artarmon – entry via Taylor Lane. Hope to see you there!

PS stay tuned for the grand reopening of the store!