Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — A now-closed liquor store that serviced Northeastern University since the 1930s is trying to get back in business, but time is ticking.
Huntington Wine and Spirits, which closed in March, will lose its liquor license if it doesn’t start selling alcohol soon.
Longtime owner Steven Rubin said he’s trying to relocate somewhere close by, and he’s asking the Boston Licensing Board for a six-month extension while he gets things in order.
“We’ve just been a major icon of the neighborhood because of our longevity,” Rubin said.
The store, originally called Huntington Market, opened on Huntington Avenue in 1936, a few years after the Prohibition Era. Rubin said his family took it over in 1970. The store was fairly popular until the pandemic, when Northeastern went remote.
“The whole area really changed,” Rubin said. “It hasn’t rebounded since.”
The store eventually closed in late March. Rubin said one of his favorite parts of the job was educating people about wine.
“I miss it terribly … It was my whole life,” Rubin said.
Rubin said he’s hopeful that the licensing board will give him more time to open at another location because of the store’s neighborhood reputation. He’s also not worried about regaining customers.
“We have such a following, I think anywhere we go would know us and remember us,” Rubin said.
Still, lots of liquor stores have it tough nowadays because of changing demand. A recent Gallup poll found that only 54% of U.S. adults said they consumed alcohol, the lowest percentage in Gallup’s nearly 90-year history.
Rubin said he hopes to circumvent that trend by selling a variety of items “that aren’t really available in other stores.”
He said that will include half bottles of wine, soju, ice cream, pre-packaged food and gourmet snacks.
He’s also open to selling THC beverages, noting the growing competition liquor stores face from dispensaries.
“It doesn’t just have to be a 30-pack of beer or a 4-pack of IPAs,” Rubin said. “It could be anything.”
WBZ’s Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.