Susan Baldaserini & Shai Kessler have created an exceptional destination in the heart of one of our Greene County river towns. In recent years, most of the business development in the town Coxsackie has been along the US 9W corridor, leaving residents and travelers little reason to visit the heart of the historic river Village of Coxsackie, except to go to the Post Office, the town offices, or the main branch of the National Bank of Coxsackie.
That’s all about to change. Riverside Park (at the end of Reed Street) draws hundreds of visitors to events and hosts the Wednesday Farmers Market during the summer and fall. Entrepreneurs see this traffic as opportunity.
“It’s really a wonderful location” says Susan, “the more things there are to see and do here, the more people will come.” That’s the key to success for the Reed Street Bottle Shop, as they offer Wine, Spirits, and Frivolity at 34 Reed Street, Coxsackie, NY.
In 2015, Susan & Shai lived and worked in the NY Metro area, and owned a second home in the town of New Baltimore. They shared a vision of starting a business that would support a growing market in specialty wines and spirits. On-line research led them to discover the Invest In Greene program, an initiative of the Greene County Legislature with the mission of attracting and supporting businesses that create jobs in Greene County.
On January 22nd, Shai downloaded the program’s “Starting a Small Business” eBook, and met with members of the Greene County Economic Development team in February.
“The support we received from the county team was really valuable” remembers Shai. “We were originally considering one particular storefront, but they identified several additional locations that were much more attractive, and that’s how we came to Coxsackie.”
The county team also presented the program’s Quantum Fund Financing that provides low-interest loans for up to 50% of an approved project. Susan and Shai applied, were approved and received the additional needed capital needed to get the business rolling. By June 1st, Reed Street Bottle Shop was granted a retail license from the New York State Liquor Authority, and it was full-steam ahead to a grand opening on July 13th. Throughout June and July, a flurry of activity transformed the storefront at 34 Reed Street into an eclectic and inviting place to explore new tastes and seek out old favorites.
The Ribbon-Cutting ceremony was attended by enthusiastic representatives of the Greene County Chamber of Commerce and village Mayor Mark Evans, all citing the Grand Opening as a significant step in the revitalization of the Reed Street area.
You can visit the Reed Street Bottle Shop on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11AM to 7:30PM, and from Noon to 6PM on weekends. Follow them on Facebook for updates on special events, tastings, and new arrivals of wine, spirits, and frivolity!
If you want to learn more about how to Make It In Greene, check out our free helpful business guides and contact the Invest In Greene team by email or phone at 518-719-3290.
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Topics: Success Stories
