{"id":38999,"date":"2026-04-21T14:53:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T18:53:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/?p=38999"},"modified":"2026-04-21T14:53:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T18:53:34","slug":"downtown-glens-falls-liquor-store-opens-after-lengthy-licensing-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2026\/04\/downtown-glens-falls-liquor-store-opens-after-lengthy-licensing-process\/","title":{"rendered":"Downtown Glens Falls Liquor Store Opens After Lengthy Licensing Process"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Tim Ortiz poses inside Glens Falls Liquor, his new downtown shop on Glen Street.
Glens Falls Business Journal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Carol Ann Conover<\/p>\n

Tim Ortiz spent four years, a small fortune in rent and a detour through the state Legislature before he finally made his first sale at Glens Falls Liquor, the downtown storefront he had long envisioned filling a conspicuous gap in the city\u2019s retail landscape.<\/p>\n

Ortiz, a musician and longtime resident of downtown Glens Falls, opened the shop on Glen Street in early March 2026 after signing a lease in July 2024 and paying full rent every month through a protracted licensing process. The store occupies a small, carefully curated space, where Ortiz said he deliberately chose not to expand into a larger adjacent unit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to open a business in Glens Falls since I live downtown, and I started thinking about what the area didn\u2019t have yet,\u201d Ortiz said. \u201cWhat it didn\u2019t have was a place to buy a bottle of wine or liquor downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n

The idea came to him after late nights playing gigs. The nearest option, he said, was a drive to another local store just outside town.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/b>\u201cLiterally one night well, a few nights, I wanted to get a bottle of something after a gig, but everything around was closed,\u201d he said. \u201cSo I thought, there should be a liquor store here. Why don\u2019t we have a small liquor store?\u201d<\/p>\n

He filed for the DBA \u201cGlens Falls Liquor\u201d four years ago. What he did not anticipate was that the licensing process would require an act of the state Legislature.<\/p>\n

After the State Liquor Authority initially denied his application over a proximity issue with a nearby church, Ortiz sought help from elected officials. The mayor at the time had already provided a strong letter of recommendation supporting the application, citing the city\u2019s interest in more retail downtown, and the city board had approved the project.<\/p>\n

With the SLA denial in hand, Ortiz turned to the governor\u2019s office, which directed him to pursue a legislative remedy. State Sen. Dan Stec\u2019s office stepped in and worked with Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner on a bipartisan bill to address the situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cDan Stec\u2019s office proposed a bill with Carrie Woerner \u2014 our Assemblywoman \u2014 and they led a bipartisan effort to push it through. It passed the Senate and Assembly and was signed into law,\u201d Ortiz said.<\/p>\n

The process moved faster than Ortiz and his attorney had expected.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat took a while, but not as long as I thought \u2014 maybe six months from beginning to end,\u201d he said. \u201cThe elected officials\u2019 offices were so helpful. They were calling me all the time: \u2018Hey, what can we do? We\u2019re doing this, we\u2019re doing that.\u2019 They were talking to the SLA. They really went above and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ortiz said he had previously seen Gov. Kathy Hochul grant exemptions to other stores in similar circumstances, including a recent case in Hudson Falls, which gave him confidence the path was viable.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great when your representatives show up when there\u2019s a need like that,\u201d he said. \u201cThey worked together and joined forces to support the community, which I think is great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even after the bill was signed, the SLA retained final discretion. Ortiz said the moment the approval email arrived was a relief.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I finally got the license, that email was a huge, surprising moment,\u201d he said. \u201cThere was a lot of uncertainty and definitely a financial strain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just a few weeks in, Ortiz said the reception has centered on locals who can now walk to the store from nearby homes and apartments. The shop is open until 10 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the people who come in live right nearby,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re like, \u2018Wow, a place we can just walk to and get something.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The store carries a mid- to high-tier selection, intentionally limited in scope. Ortiz said buying fewer SKUs in larger quantities allows him to keep prices competitive.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want people to come in and think, \u2018Oh, it\u2019s a smaller store, so we\u2019re going to pay more,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not going to be the cheapest price on everything, but I don\u2019t believe in overcharging.\u201d<\/p>\n

Organic and lower-additive options have resonated with younger customers, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople still want to drink, but they like having options with fewer preservatives or fewer additives they\u2019re concerned about,\u201d Ortiz said.<\/p>\n

The store is dog-friendly \u2014 a deliberate choice for a neighborhood full of dog walkers \u2014 and the shop\u2019s mascot, a dog named Rigby, anchors a weekly Instagram feature called \u201cRigby\u2019s Treat of the Week.\u201d The store can be found on Instagram at @glensfallsliquor.<\/p>\n

\u201cPart of the idea is to let people walking their dogs come in and grab something without being deterred,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI picked this spot \u2014 I had the option to take a much bigger space next door \u2014 but I wanted something smaller that could be run efficiently,\u201d he said. \u201cWith less overhead, I can be more competitive on price and pay my employees more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ortiz continues to perform music regularly, including a standing Saturday night engagement at The Garrison and periodic Fridays at The Score. He said the business and the performances fit the life he has built in downtown Glens Falls.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m also trying to provide an experience,\u201d he said. \u201cThe store looks great, with artwork on the walls, and it\u2019s not cluttered. Everything is neat and clean \u2014 details a lot of liquor stores overlook. We\u2019re looking forward to a busy summer as people discover how convenient we are for both locals and visitors looking for a good bottle at a fair price.\u201d<\/p>\n

Glens Falls Liquor is located at 280 Glen St. in downtown Glens Falls.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Carol Ann Conover Tim Ortiz spent four years, a small fortune in rent and a detour through the state Legislature before he finally made his first sale at Glens Falls Liquor, the downtown storefront he had long envisioned filling a conspicuous gap in the city\u2019s retail landscape. Ortiz, a musician and longtime resident of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":39000,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-news"],"yoast_head":"\r\nDowntown Glens Falls Liquor Store Opens After Lengthy Licensing Process - Glens Falls Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2026\/04\/downtown-glens-falls-liquor-store-opens-after-lengthy-licensing-process\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Downtown Glens Falls Liquor Store Opens After Lengthy Licensing Process - Glens Falls Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Carol Ann Conover Tim Ortiz spent four years, a small fortune in rent and a detour through the state Legislature before he finally made his first sale at Glens Falls Liquor, the downtown storefront he had long envisioned filling a conspicuous gap in the city\u2019s retail landscape. 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