New building going up for liquor store
State-operated store will be leased from Dashco owner
Another new building will soon be popping up along Rathdrum’s Highway 53 corridor, according to Kevin Randles, owner of Dashco – one of the busiest corners in town.
“Liquor sales reached the point either we expand the store at the current location or build a separate building,” said Randles, who will lease the new 3,000-square-foot building to the state.
Liquor has been sold at the Dashco location for more than 35 years, according to Randles, who helped design the Western-themed building along with architect Mark Latham and builder Charlie Cramer of Storm King Construction. It will feature cedar-looking siding with a rock entry and an arched façade “reminiscent of earlier days when Rathdrum was the county seat,” said Cramer.
The biggest change for Randles is that the liquor store he is building will no longer be a contract store that receives a commission for selling liquor for the state. It will be state-owned and state-operated store.
“I will own the land and building,” said Randles, “and I have a 20-year lease with the state. My relationship with the state has been superb all these years. It’s a win-win situation for both of us, and just working with them has been great.”
The state will hire employees for the new store, including a manager, a clerk and several part-time workers. They will also be handling inventory – one of the aspects of liquor sales Randles is happy to relinquish, since it required daily counts and biannual audits.
Randles said that projecting what will happen to business at Dashco once liquor sales move across the street is a tough call. “I don’t foresee having to let an employee go – not at this time,” he said. The fact that his business will be just a few feet away from the new store leads him to believe his customers will still find it convenient to pick up their gas, cigarettes, beer, groceries and deli foods at Dashco.
The older building will get a face-lift once the liquor is removed, according to Randles. “We will remodel and update the store with standing pods, where customers can stand and eat, new counters, new cabinets and a lot more space.” Randles hopes to accomplish the remodel without closing the store.
According to Department of Idaho State Liquor Dispensary Superintendent James Nally, the state determined a bigger store was necessary at the Dashco location due to a high volume of sales. “Normally a contract store is able to service a community of this size, but this is a unique location,” he said, “with the highway location serving a much larger area.”
Once the need to increase service and selection to residents was determined, Nally said state officials began to work with Randles to determine the best course to follow. According to Nally, “Kevin is a great operator and a good businessman. We needed him to give us more space, and we wanted to help him keep his business.”
The new, larger liquor store will offer residents a much bigger selection of products and a variety of other items, according to Nally. “We have 1,400 to 1,600 (items) to choose from in our warehouse.” Customers can expect a larger selection of liquor, including more brands, additional sizes, and related items like mixers and garnishes.
The sale of liquor in Idaho has been controlled by the state since the end of Prohibition in 1933. At that time each state was offered the choice of privatizing the sale of liquor or taking it on as a state-owned business in an effort to provide greater control over the distribution, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages. Eighteen states chose to control the business themselves.
Despite repeated attempts to privatize over the years, all 18 states still maintain controlled sales and reap the benefits of the sale of liquor for public use. In Idaho, millions of dollars are generated from the sale of liquor for the state’s general fund, other public programs, and cities and counties. In 2007, sales of $121.6 million resulted in profits of $42.4 million which included $3.4 million distributed to Kootenai County, with Rathdrum receiving over $96,000.
According to Nally, there are fewer social problems due to alcoholism in states that control liquor sales. “We don’t have profit as a motivation, and we promote temperance,” he said. State liquor stores in Idaho are run by well-trained people who manage and control the supply – they don’t stay open all night; and there aren’t too many of them.
The new store will be in operation within 60 to 70 days of receiving final approval from the city, which is expected soon.