RICHMOND – The Richmond State Liquor Store, located at 19 W. Main, has reopened. Customers are returning to buy their spirits and that makes the building owner, Terry Nivison, happy.
“It’s good to have it open again,” he said. “It sure makes grocery shopping a lot easier.”
A 1930’s era picture of his parents, Bill and Marie Nivison, standing in front of the soda fountain is stuck to the vintage cash register. The building has been owned by the Nivison family for 80 years.
He said the cash register doesn’t work, so they use it for a cash box.
The store has been cleared out enough to see the remnants of the one-time drug store. He remembers being raised in the vacant apartment above the store. He said his grandson, Justin Harris, is the manager of the store now.
The store closed on May 15 this year by order of the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control commission, due to violations.
Terry Wood, public information officer for the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverages Control (UDABC), said they have had their license restored.
He said Harris was not the only one that submitted an application. A couple from Smithfield also submitted one. Marty Spicer and Diane West wanted to move the license and business to Smithfield.
“One of the reasons they went with Harris was the distance from Logan to his establishment in Richmond. It was further away from the Logan facility,” Wood said. “After considering all the factors, Justin won out due to geographical distance from Logan.”
He said Richmond is farther away and an easier distance for people in that area to have access to the store.
Nivison’s business is a different type store than the Logan Liquor Store. There are five types of liquor stores licensed through the state.
Type 1 is package agency operated in a resort or hotel environment. Type 2 is a package agency operated with another business where the alcohol is not the major source of income.
Type 3, a package agency, is under contract and has the sole purpose of selling liquor not in conjunction with another business. The Richmond Store is a Type 3 store. There are 35 Type 3 stores in the state.
The Type 4 package agency is under contract and located within a facility approved by the commission for the purpose of selling liquor. The Logan Liquor Store is a type 4 location.
Type 5 package agency is under contract located within a brewery or winery.
All of the package agencies are licensed to individual owners and are granted to small stores to act as a state liquor store.
“All of their product comes from us and essentially they are their own business owners,” Wood said. ”Everyone charges the same price for the product.”
The store hours are 12 noon to 7 p.m., except for Sunday and Monday.