New liquor store opens at Clark One Stop Liquor & Tobacco – Austin Daily Herald

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Vinod Patel, from left, Vijay Patel and Ragu Prajapati stand inside the newly opened Clark One Stop Liquor & Tobacco liquor store Wednesday during its grand opening. Eric Johnson/[email protected]

Vijay Patel stands next to the long cooler filled with beer at Clark One Stop Liquor & Tabacco. The location recently held a grand opening for the liquor store. Eric Johnson/[email protected]

Ragu Prajapati stands at the counter with more selections for customers on the side of Clark’s recently opened liquor store One Stop Liquor & Toabcco. Eric Johnson/[email protected]

Two new projects – one in Austin and another in Hayfield – have their owners hoping they can provide another amenity to residents of both communities.

A new liquor store, attached to Clark One Stop Liquor and Tobacco, located at 902 12th St SW in Austin, celebrated its grand opening Wednesday. Meanwhile, in Hayfield, the owners purchased and reopened the community’s grocery store with the goal of add a liquor store.

Owner Victor Patel said after purchasing One Stop two years ago, the need for a liquor store was recognized in that part of town. The decision to expand the existing building, which was formerly No. 4 in Ankeny, was made in August of last year.

“We saw here, throughout the neighborhood, that there was no liquor store on the south side,” said Patel, who is joined by Vinod Patel, Vijay Patel and Ragu Prajapati and who also owns the Clark By The Way at 1205 Oakland Place SE. “We thought maybe it wasn’t practical for people who had to drive (to other liquor stores).”

While work is being done on the interior and welcoming a large product to the shelves, some work continues on the exterior of the building, although Patel expects this work to be completed by the end of June or the first week of July.

That same desire to add convenience was a factor in building a liquor store over the existing Hayfield grocery store, located on Main Street. Already determined to keep the store open so the community has a place to shop rather than drive elsewhere, Patel said adding a liquor store was a good solution.

“There’s no liquor store in town and a lot of people want it,” Patel said. “We’re renovating, fixing everything and we’re going to open a liquor store so people don’t have to drive all the way to Austin or Dodge Center.”

Their new liquor store in Austin is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.