Good Life Liquors Offering Expanded Liquor Selections
By Robin Vinci at July 8, 2024 | 9:20 am | Print
Wanting to be closer to family, husband and wife Dave Siano and Carmela Bonavita retired in Springfield, Mass and opened up not one, but two package stores called Good Life Liquors in New Britain.
“We decided to move down here to be near Dave’s family,” said Bonavita who presently still commutes each day. The two plan to move to New Britain to live in 2013.
The first of the two stores opened near Christmas at 538 East Main St. across from Papa’s Dodge. It is about 500 square feet with some extra storage space. It had been closed over a year, but Siano said business has picked up well.
“It’s been a slow steady climb,” he said. “Things have been very good and we seem to get along with everybody.”
The second store opened at 450 South Main St., next to Fatherland Restaurant, right after Valentine’s Day. That 1,500 square foot store had been open, but was uncared for before Bonavita came in.
She redecorated the place, expanded the selections and has plans to expand the freezer.
“We expanded the wine selection and put a bigger variety of items on the shelves,” said Bonavita. “We added things like Bailey’s mudslides. We try to offer all the new liquors that come in.”
In fact, the South Main St. store has frequent free taste testing events on Friday and Saturday evenings.
“We also have frozen pouches and have the coldest beer in town,” insisted Bonavita. “We keep the fridge really cold.”
They also do party planning and have ordered special products for customers of different nationalities. Ice, soda and juice beverages are also available.
Although this is the first time the couple has owned a package store, they are not new to the business world.
“My family had a pizza store,” said Bonavita. “Other family members have had businesses doing nails and a dentist office.”
The two are used to working long hours and are open Monday through Saturday until 9 p.m.
“A lot of places close at 8, but we always stay open to 9 p.m.,” Siano said.
So far, the pair is getting used to life in New Britain.
“It’s nice. We like it and the people seem to like us,” Bonavita said. “We’ve made a lot of friends and met a lot of nice people.”
The key to future success at Good Life Liquors, says Bonavita, is clear.
“Keep the prices low, beer cold and the place clean,” she said. “People like that.”
For more information on Good Life Liquors call the East Main St. store at 860-225-0616 or the South Main St. store at 860-229-0550.
