Photo by Holly Allen – Garrett and Erika Perry stand outside their new venture, Valley Liquor, with their children Lincoln, Collin, and Rozlyn prior to opening day, July 1.
by Holly Allen
Last minute preparations are underway at Valley Liquor in advance of their soft opening date July 1. Owners Erika and Garrett Perry, Valley Falls, are working to complete renovations on the building, after which the shelves will be stocked for opening day.
The couple has knocked out a wall, opening up the space, and added a large cooler to the back wall. Their liquor license in hand, only a fresh coat of paint and some signage stands between them and completion.
Their logo bears the tagline “Wine. Spirits. Beer. Cigars. Smoke.” which pretty much sums up the offerings prospective customers will find inside once the doors are open to the public. In addition to the usual liquor store fare, the business boasts a humidor with a wide selection of cigars and a fully-stocked tobacco section which includes cigarettes, vape products, and the like.
The Perrys are no strangers to the liquor store business, having owned Westside Liquor in Oskaloosa since 2019. Because of this, they already have a pretty good idea of what sells in Jefferson County and vendor contacts already in place. They have also studied the sale metrics for the county, and ordered accordingly. Despite having their finger on the pulse of demand, Garrett advises the first couple of weeks, from soft opening July 1 to grand opening July 12, will be spent gauging the needs of this specific community and adjusting accordingly.
Garrett and Erika are lifelong county residents. Garrett grew up in Oskaloosa, McLouth, and Ozawkie, graduating from Jefferson West High School in 2007. He has been a business manager for 11 years, serving as general manager of the Bernie’s gas station and convenience store at Perry, a family-owned operation, since 2017, in addition to overseeing operations at Westside Liquor.
Erika is a Meriden native, graduating from Jeff West in 2010. She earned her business marketing and management degree from Washburn University in 2015, and has worked in healthcare information technology since that time. She is currently employed remotely by Cigna as a technical account manager.
The couple have three children, Collin, 6, Lincoln, 4, and Rozlyn, 1, and enjoy being outside as a family with their chickens, ducks, and other animals. They are involved with their kids’ school activities and sports, and Garrett coaches both of their sons’ baseball teams.
Despite their busy schedules, the Perrys are excited at the prospect of this new undertaking.
“We are always tossing around ideas for new ventures, and this one was an easy call for us,” said Erika. “The building is in the perfect location to serve the community as well as commuters, and the need is here.”
The couple is big on supporting local businesses, and the Oskie liquor store was the first to carry local favorites such as GJ’s Blood Mary 1 Shot, Oskaloosa, and Empty Nesters wine from the winery in Lecompton — both of which will be available at the Valley Falls location, among other local favorites.
They also intend to hold a weekly weekend kickoff — Wine Down Fridays — from 5 to 8 p.m. beginning during their soft opening date next Friday. The event includes samplings, particularly focused on offerings from local wineries. For the first couple weeks the business will gather names for drawings and promotional giveways which will be awarded at their official grand opening event Friday, July 12. The Mulligan’s on the Move food truck will set up in the parking lot for the grand opening.
The store will have a “pick six” option for those who would like to try their hand at building their own craft beer bundle. Bottled soft drinks, energy drinks, and snacks are in the works to be added to the store’s offerings. They also carry their store-branded line of koozies, shirts and merchandise items such as bottle opens, drink mixers, and lighters.
Valley Liquor is located at 1600 K-4 Hwy., Valley Falls. The business will hold regular hours beginning July 1: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Kirk Butler, Perry, will serve as a full-time daytime employee at the location and a handful of Valley Falls locals have been hired to round out the staff part-time.
“One of our favorite things about having Westside in Oskaloosa has been getting involved with the community there. We love sponsoring the fundraisers and ball teams and getting to know the people,” said Erika. “We are happy to have another local community to become a part of.”