On The Rocks – New Owners, New Home

After a long year of waiting, On the Rocks Liquor Store has new owners and a new location.

Chad and Olivia Dietz became the official owners of the establishment earlier this year. The process began approximately a year ago and came to fruition with the grand re-opening of the store at their new location in late May.

The Dietz's purchased the building at 224 Main Street, across from the post office, and began renovating it themselves in March. In addition to the liquor store, the building houses Red Mountain Massage and Yoga, and will be home to a local gift shop that will be announced in the coming weeks.

"We purchased the building as a long-term investment in ourselves and our future in Lincoln. We knew we wanted to own our own business and we knew we wanted to stay in Lincoln, so it all just made sense." said Olivia, who's no stranger to the business as her mother owned the establishment for several years.

When they made the renovations, they wanted to turn the building into more of a rental space and create a livelier shopping opportunity on the west side of town. Additionally, their renovations made it possible for each of the three businesses to have their own entrance, something the building lacked in the past.

Chad and Olivia started the process of purchasing the store about a year ago. It took as long as it did due to requirements by the state to own a liquor store in Montana. "There were a lot of hoops to jump through for the state. First there were personal background checks, an audit of our finances, and then with the purchase of the building, there were additional requirements in terms of square footage, storage space, space for the delivery truck to turn around, and correct signage. We basically had to prove there was enough space before we could move the store," said Oliva.

For those who have been to visit the new space, it appears significantly smaller than the previous store. While they downsized the square footage of space from the previous store, the linear feet of shelving is equal to, or more than, what they had due to the way the new shop is set up.

Their plan is to up the inventory and keep better track of it to make sure they can accommodate the needs of the community. "Our goal is to cater to the locals and continue to supply the local bars. During the winter months, the bars are what help us. We want to make sure we have what they need and not run out of those items." Olivia said.

In addition to supplying bars, they welcome feedback from folks in town on what they would like them to carry. "Ideally, we'd like to be a one stop shop for people here in Lincoln, so if there are things we can stock, we want to do it. As a state liquor store, we have the ability to carry any type or brand of alcohol and we're willing to special order or carry items people would like to see in the store regularly," she said. "We're interested in what people have to say."

In addition to providing Lincoln with a local liquor store, the couple also plans to continue and expand the screen printing business that has been long associated with On the Rocks. At the time of the interview with the BVD, the local fast-pitch league teams were in the process of ordering their uniform shirts. Dietz was happy to help them with color and font choices for each of the players. They're planning to create some logos and have items displayed in the store for purchase as well.

As the Dietz's move forward, they're planning to have monthly giveaways, engage people and provide gift sets for the holidays.

For more information about On the Rocks, and what they carry, or to place a special request, you can call them at 362-4492 or follow them on Facebook for upcoming specials and giveaways.