Taking risks is what running a business is all about. Reinvention, reinvestment and sometimes, relocation are important aspects of business evolution. And change can be good.
For five years, G-Whil-Liquors has been at the crossroads of Road G and Highway 160/491. Not the easiest location for customers to get to, so owner Joy Kyzer-Rasch, plucked the business from that corner and revitalized it.
Now, G-Whil-Liquors is located a few hundred yards up the highway at 7268 U.S. Highway 160/491. The 5,300 square-foot building was purchased by Kyzer-Rasch and her husband, Brian Rasch, in January of this year.
The space has a combination of a 1950s retro and Southwestern rustic feel. Its beer cave is one of the largest in the area at 16-feet by 30-feet. The walk-in cooler contains various selections of traditional beers and microbrews. Kyser-Rasch hopes to expand this selection with time. After all, she has the room.
We are still finding stuff in the back, she said.
Shelves are still being stocked and the black and white checkerboard floor has space for more.
Our regular customers are happy (about the move) and we are getting lots of new customers.
But the liquor store is only the beginning. Literally.
The front entrance to the building holds the alcohol, the back houses a second unique operation.
Joys of the Southwest has returned to Cortez.
Having started her own jam outfit in 1981, Kyzer-Rasch has expanded her tasty Southwestern goods over the years to include salsa, meat marinades, dips and more. Her products are currently sold at Cliffrose gardens and Let It Grow nursery, but now, they have an official home once again.
Kyzer-Rasch has had a store for her homemade jams in Cortez that was located on Main Street, downtown. She sold her business for a few years and recently reacquired it. Her products are sold at retail or wholesale prices and have been shipped all over the United States. Her salsa mix is her best seller and her jalapeno peach jam won a gold medal at the Colorado State Fair several years ago. Opening another storefront for Joys seemed like a step in the right direction.
Customers are so excited that I brought my products back, Kyzer-Rasch said. The move has been awesome.
Besides her famous jams, she will also be selling various pieces of jewelry, supplies to make stained glass, beading supplies, antiques and other accessories and decor. At the beginning of the new year, she is hoping to offer jewelry and stained glass classes in the store.
G-Whil-Liquors and Joys opened on Tuesday, Oct. 23. In the last 10 months, the couple have been going through the building, zoning and remodeling process. The outcome has been worth the wait and theyre happy to be in a new location.
We saw this building for sale and since it is close to the other location, we thought it would be good to have for our customer base, Brian said. The place has two separate warehouses for each business. The largest separates the two. There are entrances for each, the front belonging to G-Whil-Liquors and the back to Joys. Eventually they would like to put in a drive-thru window for the liquor store. In the meantime, the couple are glad to be up and running.
For more information on purchasing or ordering Joys products, call 565-0774.
rachels@cortezjournal.com