Braintree Residents Mixed On Total Wine's Arrival

BRAINTREE, MA — The licensing board on Oct. 16, approved allowing liquor store chain Total Wine & More to open on Pearl Street.

A 4 to 1 vote by Braintree's Licensing Board approved transferring the liquor license of Pearl Wine and Spirits, which is closing, to the Delaware-based retail chain. James O’Brien, the town’s fire chief and a member of the Licensing Board was the lone vote against the license transfer.

Residents are mixed on the store coming to Braintree, with some excited for a large liquor store, while others have some concerns.

Resident Jennifer Ricciarelli shared some of those concerns with Patch.

"I’m worried about it hurting the smaller established liquor stores in town," Ricciarelli said.

Others were confident some local liquor stores could survive based off their own customer service merits.

"Love the folks at Curtis Liquors," Andrew Kaye said. "They are always helpful, knowledgeable, and courteous. I think the folks that shop there will remain loyal."

Some were against a license transfer all together, and would rather a new type of local business come to Braintree.

"I think it's awful. We have liquor stores with wine, Regina Francke-Nelson said. "Why not put something there that we don't have?"

Braintree allows up to eight licenses that allow the sale of liquor, wine, and beer. Licensing board chair James Casey told the Boston Globe, that even with the granting of Total Wine & More's license, the town still has only granted seven licenses.

“We are not adding any liquor stores; this was a license transfer,” Casey said.

Others like Amy Klotz don't mind the store coming as long as it makes a positive impact on the community.

"I think if it creates jobs, if it’s an ethical company and they’re good neighbors, then I’m fine with it," she said.

Several people expressed excitement, citing Total Wine's selection. The company advertises that its stores carry more than 8,000 different wines, 2,500 different beers, and 3,000 types of liquor.

"Wine is always welcome," Kelly Ahern said.

Some people were indifferent, and didn't believe a new store would have a large impact on the loyal customers of existing liquor stores.

"I don’t have a favorite place to go, usually whatever is convenient," Laura Burton said. "I’m sure people who feel loyal to local places will still patron those."

Total Wine plans to open a 26,000-square-foot store at 180 Pearl St., near the exit for Route 3. This would make Total Wine the biggest liquor store in Braintree by a large margin.

The next largest store is Bin Ends on Wood Road, which is about 4,000 square feet.

In Massachusetts, Total Wine has stores in Burlington, Danvers, Everett, Natick, and Shrewsbury.

Total Wine spokesman Edward Cooper told the Boston Globe customers at the company's other Massachusetts stores who live and work on the South Shore have requested a store closer to them.

“If all goes well, we hope for the store to open sometime in the early second quarter of next year,” Cooper said.

Photo credit: Aaron Davidson / Stringer