Small Business Showcase - Carbondale Liquor - Carbondale, KS

So I recently decided it would be fun to reach out and photograph local small businesses. As a small business myself, I could see the benefit of networking and creating some value for other local businesses so this is how this project began. One of the first small businesses to express interest in what we were doing was Carbondale Liquor. Very cool! I am excited to see where this project takes us and I am so happy and thankful for the energy and excitement Emily had towards this idea. So I feel honored to have her as our first business in our small business showcase. Here’s some of our photos from their shoot and a great interview! (Also, a side note: Just for fun, I had each employee hold up their favorite drink for their individual portrait. Shows some personality!)

T.H. Peterson Photography: Tell me a little bit about how you came to own Carbondale Liquor.

Emily: My grandparents, Everett and Linda Romine, owned and operated the store (formerly Southside Discount Liquor) for 20 years. My husband, Michael, was in the USMC and was stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC, so we lived out there for about 4 years. When we moved back to Kansas in 2016, I told my grandmother I would help her run the store. My grandparents were ready to fully retire and we agreed to purchase the store from them in 2020. Our official date of opening as Carbondale Liquor as owners of a business was October 2, 2020.

T.H. P.: What do you love most about your business?

Emily:  I love being able to interact with all of my customers. They know me; they know I like to chit chat haha.

T.H. P.: Tell me a little bit about the team you have there?

Emily: Brian has been with us for almost as long as I've worked there; 6 years. He's probably the one person most people know besides me because he's there all the time. He's helped us a lot. He pretty much helps with whatever we need, on or off the clock, just to make sure we're good. Shoot, he's even helped with some of our renovation stuff when we needed help. He's been a great asset to our store and I appreciate all his hard work.

Tim has been with us for around a year now. Even though this isn't his main job, he keeps coming back. Haha. He cleans the floors, dusts the shelves, keeps everything stocked really well. He always helps whenever we need it as well. I really appreciate all the help he's been. 

Mindy has only been with us a short time now, but she's definitely become a part of our work family. She knows so many people in our area and customers like seeing a familiar face. She's always good for a laugh when you need it. 

All of us just mesh so well together and I can't express how grateful I am for that. They all really make my job so much more enjoyable. 

T.H. P.: What's it like working with your husband?

Emily: Technically, we don't work together at the store. He works at one of our liquor distributors at night. He moves all the trucks and trailers in and out of the docks for the loaders to fill for the delivery drivers. Whenever he can, he comes to the store to help me put away deliveries and stock the cooler and shelves. He does whatever he can to help and make my life a little easier. I really appreciate everything he does for me.

T.H. P.:  I love the renovations you are making to your business. What types of ways are you trying to set yourself apart and make yourself a special store. 

Emily: I really just wanted to make my own space. I had a vision for what I wanted the store to look like and it's really coming to life right before my eyes. I've really wanted to make my store a one stop shop. Where people can find their favorite mixers, drinks, party snacks and tobacco all in one place. If there's something I don't have or don't carry on a regular basis, I do special orders for people. I think that's one of the main things we've become known for: our willingness to fulfill people's requests even if it's just for one person. All of our customers are important to us.

                             

T.H. P.:  Any last words?

Emily: I appreciate all of our customers, especially the ones who really stuck in there with us while we've been doing our renovations. I know it's been really confusing with our maze setup and then not having cold drinks while replacing our cooler. It's been a long, but fulfilling journey so far and we can't wait to see our finished product.

I'd really like to thank my grandpa, Everett, for doing all of our wall work. He's really put in a lot of time and work into getting the store the way I want it to look. Thanks to my dad, John Roberts, for doing our duct work. Thanks to Clint Hawkins at CH Electric for dealing with that mess of electrical wires and getting us hooked up correctly. Thanks to Andy Schlink at Andy's Refrigeration and all of his helping hands for getting our new cooler up and running. Thanks to Lonnie Wallace and his crew for laying the concrete for our new cooler. I'd also like to thank all of our customers that gave tips, tricks, tools to borrow and all the compliments for the work we've been doing. Y'all really don't know how much it means to me to know how much our customers care about us and the work we've been doing. We truly appreciate all of the kind words and help we've been given. Thank you all.

 

Thank you Tommy Peterson for taking our business photos and showcasing us on your blog. We appreciate your time and willingness to help area business owners and community members. The photos are amazing and so are you! 🙂

 Want us to showcase your small business? Send us an email at tommy@thpetersonphoto.com or message us on our facebook page!