Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association Newsletter
(September 4, 2009)
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As I see it...
 
Horn Blowing
 
As I See It.......
 
Toot your own horn!
 
It is important to let others know what is happening at the Liquor store - not only your council and city management, but your community as well.
 
With the upcoming state-wide MMBA Food Drive in October, be sure to let your local media know this is happening. We advertise this in our local paper during the month and last year we presented our check to the food shelf with a small blurb and photo in the paper.

Delano uses much of the revenue from the liquor store to make improvements in the community parks. We have a banner in our store with a photo of one of the parks and it reads:

Delano Wine and Spirits contributed $135,000.00 towards the Big Rock Play Area; covering a substantial portion of the cost of this play structure.

The City of Delano and Delano Wine & Spirits would like to thank you for your patronage. Together we continue to keep Delano a thriving community.

This banner is 3 feet x 6 feet and is place so the customer can read it while at the checkout counter. It has been an amazing tool when it comes to informing the customer where their money goes. It was inexpensive to produce and goes a long way to get the word out.
 
Be proactive when it comes to taking advantage of the media and what they can do for you, before others use it against us!
 
Nancy Drumsta
Delano Wine and Spirits Manager
MMBA Director

Road to Recovery 
 
Aitkin
 
By JEANNE SCHRAM
Aitkin Independent Age
 
 
A scant year ago, Aitkin's municipal liquor store was in such financial woes that city officials considered getting out of the business.

A steadily declining net operating income over five years caught the attention of the city council that resulted in action.

Now, after a remodeling project and implementation of some new ideas, the business has turned around and appears to be growing.

Liquor Store Manager Vicky Miller said she is encouraged by the growth. According to Aitkin City Clerk Kathy Brophy, the 2009 year-to-date net operating income is $20,000 over last year at this time.

Matthew Hill, council member and chair of the city's Liquor Store Committee, attributes the turnaround to the commitment from the city to remodel and reinvest in the business and the stepped up efforts of the manager in running the operation.

At a meeting last October, the following options were considered: leaving the store as it was, selling the business, remodeling the building or building a new store.

After taking all input, the city opted to remodel the existing facility - building a beer cave, painting walls, replacing floor tile, creating a new entryway and installing a new counter.

In April 2008, Miller began offering a 10 percent discount on purchases through a coupon printed on receipts at Paulbeck's County Market.

"I think those coupons played a big part [in the turnaround of profits]," said Miller. "People say they make it more comparable to buying in Brainerd."

Miller also attributed the turnaround to the economy -"People aren't traveling as much."

"The Liquor Committee is very interested in making this store successful," she added, "and there's a more positive attitude."

There's now a larger selection of wines - twice as much as a year ago. The prices range from as low as $2.99 to the boxed wines at mid-range to the most expensive bottle at $24.

With the new beer cave, there's also twice as much beer on hand. Miller said the biggest seller

2-1 at the Aitkin Liquor Store is beer. That new cooler has allowed for having a lot more microbrews and seasonal beers in the store coolers. And there's still room for more shelving and new products.

Hill said the prognosis for the municipal operation is good. "The income to the city is up and is all we are asking for," added Hill. "It will continue as long as it's a financial benefit to taxpayers of Aitkin. That's the bottom line."

Hill said that there are no other immediate plans for the store, but long-term, some exterior work may be done and new signs installed.
 
Eden Praire Liquor to Expand
Eden Prairie 
By LAURIE BLAKE, Star Tribune  
 
Eden Prairie will again expand its municipal liquor store operations in hopes of boosting sales by $1.2 million over the next 10 years. 
 
The City Council has decided to
move the smallest and least profitable of the city's three municipal liquor stores to a larger, more prominent space next to Rainbow Foods in Prairie View Shopping Center.
 
The new Prairie View Liquor Store will open in January at the spot formerly occupied by Snyder's Drug, moving from a smaller, less visible space in the same shopping center. 
 
The existing store will remain open in its current location until the larger store is ready to open in January. 
 
 
SAFE CAB in Isanti County
Isanti County 
 
Minnesota Safe Ride in conjunction with Isanti County Towards Zero Deaths (TZD) Announces :
 
 
 
 
What:
      
 1) Milestone 3000th "SAFE CAB" Rider In Isanti County
                  
2) SAFE CAB "Bartenders Of The Year" Awards
                  
 3) SAFE CAB "Bar Of The Year"  Award
                  
4) Sept.8th-Proclamation "SAFE CAB DAY"
       
Where:
 
Cambridge City Hall-300 3rd Ave.NE ,Cambridge, Mn. 55008
       
When:
 
3:30pm ,Tuesday, Sept. 8,2009 (Cambridge City Council Meeting).
       
Significant Statistics:
 
1) DUI'sdown 33% in Isanti County in one year(2008)
                                     
2) DUI"S down 65%(last place of drink)to
    participating bars
                                
Background Information:
 
Since its start in December of 2005, the year-round SAFE CAB program has provided over 3000 riders a "FREE" ride home in Isanti County through a unique partnership of the Wholesale Beer Distributors (paying 1/3rd), the participating bars(paying 1/3rd), and the Community(paying 1/3rd).
 
The SAFE CAB model has spread to other rural counties(Chisago and Pine) with a goal of reaching all rural counties in Minnesota where alcohol related traffic deaths continue to be proportionally higher than in metro  communities.

The statistics come from an ongoing 12  year DUI tracking program"last place of drink" by Isanti District Court Judge, James Dehn, whose program is one of the longest of its kind in the nation.
 
Future Dates to Remember!!
 
MMBA Food Drive
October, 2009
 
MMBA Regional Meetings
 October 2009
 
 
Ask A Director
 
Gary Buysse
Rogers
763-428-0163
 
Bob Leslie
 Pelican Rapids
218-863-6670
 
Dan Bahr
Bemidji
218-751-8868
 
Brian Hachey
Stacy
651-462-2727
 
Nancy Drumsta
Delano
763-972-0578
 
Lara Smetana
Pine City
320-629-2020
 
Joyce Zachmann
Spring Lake Park
763-780-8247
 
Virgene Shellenbarger
Hutchinson
 320-587-2762
 
Tom Agnes
Brooklyn Center
763-381-2349
 
Steve Grausam
Edina
952-903-5732
 
Toni Buchite
50 Lakes
218-763-2035
 
Michelle Olson
Sebeka
218-837-9745
E-Mail Me
 
Bridgitte Konrad
North Branch
651-674-8113
 
Paul Kaspszak
MMBA
763-572-0222
1-866-938-3925

 
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Idea of the Week
Cash Register Receipt
Maximize Your Register Receipt
 
Change your register receipt imprint frequently to tell customers about an upcoming event 
BONUS Idea of the Week
Coupon
 Give Your Customers Something Extra
 
As they leave your store, every customer should be given something to take with them:
 
A copy of your latest sales sheet
 
A photo copy of your newspaper ad
 
A coupon
 
A list of upcoming events
140 Underage Citations Issued in Mankato
Mankato
Agencies taking part in NightCAP Junior recently handed out citations for 140 underage people in Mankato.
 
Lt. Scott McConkey with the Minnesota State patrol says those numbers are way too high and wants students to know they'll continue to enforce a zero tolerance for underage drinking.
 

 Anyone can advertise, but it takes a PRO to PROMOTE!!