Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association Newsletter

(December 13, 2015 - December 19, 2015)

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As I See It...

Honor your municipal liquor history!

I love seeing stories of how the municipal liquor store in that small community bought a snowplow of police cruiser.

We have all been around for a long time in our municipal liquor operations doing good deeds for our community.

We have made a lot of money that goes back into those communities providing funds for vehicles, building, city staff wages or parks like we do here in Brooklyn Center.

Take every opportunity you can to let your citizens know what you do and how long you have been doing it.

Here in Brooklyn Center, we were able to come up with a picture and address of our first location back in 1949.

Now it is my plan to dedicate every December Sale as our Anniversary Sale.

When I was in North Branch we had a declaration of when the municipal liquor store was first instituted by city council framed and hung in the store.

This is an advantage we will always have over the big box competition.

We have a great history and have done some much good for so many years.

Shout it from the rooftops!

Tom Agnes
Brooklyn Center

Did You Know?

A trend in municipal bar operations is to expand food offerings.

Food cost should be 30 percent or less than the price charged.

Small Town Gives Back in Big Way

By Beth Leipholtz, Echo Press

For the eighth consecutive year, the Miltona Municipal Liquor Store participated in the Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association and Coors Light Food Drive and collected more than 47,000 pounds of food - almost doubling last year's total of 24,000 pounds.

The amount was enough to place them first among city-owned liquor stores with sales of less than $1 million in the state of Minnesota.

Throughout the store's eight-year history in the food drive, it has always placed in the top three stores.

The town of 425 people has consistently beat out larger communities.

"It's been a really gratifying thing to accomplish," said Mark Larson of Miltona Liquor.

"Each year it just gets bigger and bigger. ... It's one month of my time that I can dedicate to a great program."

Before including this year's total, the store had collected more than 32.5 tons of food over seven years.

This year added another 23.5 tons, for a total of 56 tons.

A large portion of this year's donations were monetary.

The store raised $13,000, with each dollar equaling three pounds of food, for a total of 39,000 pounds.

Of the remaining 8,000 pounds, a significant portion came from Peterson Farms near Parkers Prairie, which donated 7,000 pounds of potatoes.

One customer also has a history of significant donations from Miltona Grocery.

"So it not only does the food shelf good, but it generates business in our own little community," Larson said.

"That's a good deal there."

The food drive took place during the month of October, during which customers and residents were encouraged to drop off food items or cash donations.

Proceeds were given to the Douglas County Outreach Food Shelf and the Parkers Prairie Food Shelf.

"If you see someone coming out of the food shelf with a case of Coors Light, it's potatoes," Larson joked.

"We just box them up in beer cases."

Larson says the collection would not be possible without the support of the Parkers Prairie Food Shelf, the Miltona firemen, American Legion Post 219 in Parkers Prairie, the Parkers Prairie Lions Club, the Parkers Prairie Pride of Lions Club, the Miltona Lions Club, the Parkers Prairie Sportsmen Club, the Leaf Valley Sportsmen Club, Midwest Bank, the Urbank Lions Club, Outreach Food Shelf, the Carlos Lions Club and Peterson Farms.

Community members are encouraged to continue donating at Miltona Liquor, as December marks the Soles4Souls shoe drive.

Tall Grass Liquor Now Open

By Deb Gau , Marshall Independent

It meant a better experience for shoppers.

But the opening of a new municipal liquor store building was also important for what it could do for the city, said speakers at the grand opening of Tall Grass Liquor.

The grand opening kicked off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, music and wine and beer tasting events.

"This has been a long time in the making," said Tall Grass Liquor manager Scott VanMoer.

While construction of the new store began in April, the need for more space at the Marshall municipal liquor store had been pressing for years.

The new store's design, with more than double the floor space of the old liquor store on East College Drive, will make a positive difference for customers, speakers said Friday.

Tall Grass Liquor was bustling during the grand opening, both with visitors and customers.

"We're very happy with the turnout," VanMoer said.

The new store is also important for what it can give back to the city of Marshall.

Money generated by liquor store sales is transferred to the city, to help fund municipal projects.

In recent years, funding from the liquor store helped in the construction of the Marshall-Lyon County Library, said Marshall City Council member Larry Doom.

"The investments back into the community go well beyond the products (the store) serves," said Marshall City Administrator Ben Martig.

The new liquor store is also something that can draw in shoppers from around the Marshall area, said Cal Brink, director of the Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce.

"It makes the community feel so much more vibrant when you see new things," Brink said.

When I Stand on My Head....

John

When I stand on my head the blood rushes to my head, but when I stand on my feet the blood doesn't rush to my feet.

Why is this?

Bill

It's because your feet aren't empty.

The aim of marketing is to know and understand customers so well the product or service fits them and sells itself

Future Dates to Remember

2016 MMBA Annual Conference

April 16 - 19, 2016
Arrowwood Resort

Ask A Director

Gary Buysse

Rogers

763-428-0163

E-Mail Me

Cathy Pletta

Kasson

507-634-7618

E-Mail Me

Bill Ludwig

Paynesville

320-250-3325

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Candice Woods

Hutchinson

320-587-2762

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John Jacobi

Isanti

763-444-5063

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Michael Friesen

Hawley

218-483-4747

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Steve Grausam

Edina

952-903-5732

E-Mail Me

Tom Agnes

Brooklyn Center

763-549-3710

E-Mail Me

Brenda Visnovec

Lakeville

952-985-4901

E-Mail Me

Bridgitte Konrad

North Branch

651-674-8113

E-Mail Me

Karissa Kurth

Buffalo Lake

320-833-2321

E-Mail Me

Paul Kaspszak

MMBA

763-572-0222

1-866-938-3925

E-Mail Me

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Minnesota SMART

The SMART campaign: Supporting Minnesota's Alcohol Regulations and Traditions, is a renewed public education and grassroots advocacy effort in support of Minnesota's current alcohol regulations and three-tier system.

We believe Minnesota's current alcohol regulations are smart, balanced, and supported by many citizens and our local small businesses.

They work well for Minnesota!

The SMART campaign functions to help you engage in advocacy efforts with state legislators and others in support of Minnesota's current alcohol regulations, and to oppose issues-such as Sunday alcohol sales.

We want to make it easy and effective for you to engage.

Take action and send an email to your state legislators today through the new SMART campaign website.

We have sample letters and legislator contact information put together that is ready to go.

Click Here for the Website

Beverage Alcohol Training

Contact Bob Leslie at:

320-766-3871

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Contact Gary Buysse at:

763-428-0164

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Remember to Say Thank You

In this deceptively simple 3-minute talk, Dr. Laura Trice muses on the power of the magic words "thank you" - to deepen a friendship, to repair a bond, to make sure another person knows what they mean to you.

Try it.

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Contact Ste. Michelle Wine Estates

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Contact the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association

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