Scotty’s Wine and Spirits located on Highway 12 is now open for business.
Owner Scott Gault is taking his 45 years of previous retail experience and putting it to the test with the opening of his first business. Gault said he traveled to liquor stores around the state to devise the perfect formula for his store.
“I looked at a lot of different stores and wrote down what I did not like about each store,” Gault said.  “The main thing I did was talked to a lot of people and asked them to tell me what they did and didn’t like about their experiences shopping for wine and spirits.”
He said the biggest issue customers found with other wine and spirit stores was the lackluster customer service and the small amount of walking space between aisles.
“The number one thing people wanted was space,” he said.  “Customers are sick and tired of going into crowded, small stores.”
When customers walk into Scotty’s, he said they want to be known not only for their impeccable presentation, but as a store that takes care of clients as soon as they walk in the door. Upon walking into the store it is easy to see the staff have accomplished their goal. The friendly staff greets people with a smile. The selection of 600 different wines are displayed on beautiful wooden racks, which are lighted  for better reading. To the side of the store, a comfortable couch awaits tired shoppers.
He said he wants customers to be able to take their time and enjoy the experience of shopping for wine.
“You can shop for groceries, you can shop for clothes, why not be able to go somewhere and spend 20 minutes in a relaxing atmosphere?” he said.
Jennifer Gregory, chief operating officer of the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, said she is happy about the arrival of a new business in Starkville.
“Any time a new business opens in Starkville, there is always a lot of excitement because of the potential sales tax revenue which can be generated, ” she said. “Lately, with the climate of record sales tax collections in the community we are seeing more and more businesses opening up, and we really think it speaks to the positive economy we are experiencing in Starkville and Oktibbeha County.”
Gregory said she is also excited because Scotty’s will be providing all the wine for the Unwine Downtown event today. She said it will be a good opportunity to get the business’s name out to new clientele and a great way for the GSDP to partner with a new business in the community. She also said she was not worried about the potential competition it will provide for other wine and spirit stores.
“From what I understand, they are marketing towardspeople who are looking for specific types of wine and then just your everyday liquor purchases, ” she said. “We think it will compliment the other mix of wine and spirit stores we have in Starkville.”
Although the presentation is upscale, Gault said they do not want to be known as a high-end store because their products and prices are comparable to other stores.
“We are not an expensive, upscale store,” he said. “We just have a nice look and I was concerned about the perception of people sticking their head in the door and saying they can’t afford it.”
Amber Smith, a graduate student studying accounting, said she is pleased Starkville now has a wine and spirits store with the ability to cater to the individual needs of the consumer.
“Starkville has needed something like Scotty’s for a while,” she said. “Somewhere you can go and meet with a knowledgeable staff and have a diverse selection.”
Gault said all students (ages 21 and up) are welcome at the store and when customers come on their 21st birthday, they take a picture of the birthday boy or girl and put it on their Facebook page.
Scotty’s is located on the west side of town only six minutes from campus. The store is closed on Sundays and Christmas day. Scotty’s will soon have a website and Twitter, but in the meantime check out their Facebook page at Facebook.com/ScottysWineandSpirits.

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