Needles Liquor will move from the Needles Country Square about two miles north into the Purgatory Village Plaza and will rebrand itself as Mother Cline Liquor
Carrie Cline, who has owned the store since 2016, said a liquor store has been in operation in Needles Country Square for more than 50 years, back to when the property hosted a dude ranch.
Mother Cline Liquor is expected to open Oct. 1 in the space formerly occupied by Kendall Mountain Liquors. The move will allow the store to expand from about 500 square feet to 612 square feet.
In addition, the move will provide a better parking situation, she said.
The population in the north Animas Valley has been growing, and the new location will be closer to most of store’s regular customers from the Glacier Club to Cascade Village, Cline said.
“The 416 Fire really showed where most of our customers come from.,” she said. “We lost the tourists, but the locals kept the lights on.”
She anticipates the store’s regulars will find her in her new location within the resort, and she’ll be adding customers from summer recreation seekers and winter skiers based at the resort.
“I’ll have my regulars, and then I’ll have to get a feel for a new demographic,” Cline said. “We’ll lose the highway traffic, but I think we’ll gain it all back from Purgatory residents and visitors.”
Cline has one employee, Trevor Roulstin, who will make the move to the new store.
Cline said Roulstin keeps on top of the craft beer industry while she continues her self-education in wine and handles the wine orders.
parmijo@durangoherald.com
