Robert Rourke, second from the left, stands with his wife, Barbara, and their two sons, Ryan and Beau, outside of their new wine and liquor store in Crestline.
Mountain Brook is gaining one more business tenant in Crestline: R&R Wine and Liquor.
Robert Rourke and his sons, Beau and Ryan, opened their first upscale liquor store in Calera, after noticing a need for one in the area.
“I was in the restaurant and bar businesses growing up, and that kinda gave me the idea,” said Beau Rourke, who is a co-owner with his father. “I thought that was a good spot to open.”
Robert Rourke said they did their due diligence, learned more about the business, and after the first location was “busy from the first day we got the doors open,” decided it was time to expand.
Beau Rourke said they spent some time looking for new locations, and after many fell through, came across the Crestline Corners opening by happenstance.
“My son literally was here at a family party and saw the ‘For Lease’ sign in the window,” Robert Rourke said. After researching the area and learning more about the community, they decided it would be a good fit for both them and the business.
“There’s plenty of wine competition, Piggly Wiggly and Western and such, but really to buy liquor, you have to go quite a ways to buy liquor,” Robert Rourke said. The next closest liquor stores are in Highlands or along Hollywood Boulevard in Homewood.
Coupled with their central location, Robert Rourke said the goal for R&R Wine and Liquor, which opened in early August, is to be a one-stop shop for all wine, beer and liquor needs.
Beau Rourke added that the store will be carrying a collection of fine cigars and will do its best to work with state restrictions to carry hard-to-find brands of liquor.
Their prices will be competitive, too. “We’re probably cheaper than just about all the other package stores,” agreed Beau Rourke, despite not being state-run.
To create a fitting environment for R&R Wine and Liquors, Robert and Beau Rourke redesigned their new storefront to utilize both floors, with the wine selection having its own area on the second floor. “We’re trying to make it the nicest liquor store that anyone has been in,” said Beau Rourke. “I think it should be great … We’re making a really great environment.”
They are also hoping to welcome the community into the store on certain evenings to take part in wine tastings, which Beau Rourke said they are hoping to host at least weekly, in addition to a possible form of cocktail classes in the future. He added they will be taking special orders, too.
While Beau Rourke is currently working with both locations, and would like to open a third in the future, he said he will be spending most of his time at the Crestline R&R Wine and Liquor.
“[I’m looking forward to] just getting to know everybody in the community and giving them what they ask for,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to it, to the transition. It should be really good.”
Robert Rourke said the upscale liquor store is sticking to its “status quo” of being open for business 365 days per year with hours from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays.
Editor's note: This article was edited on Aug. 8 at 8:34 a.m. to reflect the opening of the business.
