Courtesy of Clifton Park Beverage Center
By Christine Graf
After two years of planning, business partners Kushan Patel, Pratik Shah, and Jay Patel have opened the doors to Clifton Park Beverage Center. Located in North Country Commons at 1208 NY-146, the store had its soft opening on May 10.
The owner of beverage centers in Colonie and Troy, Kushan Patel has more than two decades of industry experience. Shah is an assistant vice president of business development for Trustco Bank, and Jay Patel has a background in operations.
“Kushan has been in the business for many years,” said Shah. “He always wanted to open up a beverage center in Clifton Park. He was surprised there wasn’t one there.”
After becoming business partners, the trio embarked on a search for the perfect location, ultimately choosing a 7,000-square-foot space at North Country Commons.
“There is a lot of growth in that particular area with new construction homes coming in, and the nearest beverage center is five miles out, radius wise,” said Shah.
Clifton Park Beverage Center carries an extensive selection of beer and other beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
“We have a huge selection of New York craft beers. We have local beers, we have international beers, we have lots and lots of sours, ales, and IPAs,” he said. “We have such a large selection of beers that I like to call us a beer warehouse. We have anything and everything you could possible want. We have such a huge selection that it took us two to three weeks to put the tags on the shelves.”
The store also carries alcoholic ciders and seltzers, water, soda, kegs, gluten free beer, and a large assortment of non-alcoholic beers. Bottle redemption services are also available for all brands, even those that are not carried in inventory.
According to Shah, the beverage centers’ employees possess extensive knowledge related to the products they carry.
“Rather than salespeople, we call our employees beer concierges. If you go to a grocery store or convenience store, that expertise isn’t going to be there. For example, you can tell us that you like something that is darker, sweeter, and heavier, and we can recommend something,” he said.
When it comes to beer, Shah said no one is more knowledgeable than Kushan Patel, a veritable walking encyclopedia.
“He knows the stories behind all the brands and has a lot of expertise in terms of breweries. If the product you like has been discontinued, he can tell you what the next best thing is. And if you want a specific beer and we don’t have it, we can get it for you.”
Clifton Park Beverage Center’s grand opening is slated for June, and the store will feature a variety of promotional discounts. For example, in May, a discount was offered to all EMS workers.
Plans are in the works to offer online ordering as well as delivery via Door Dash and Uber Eats, and a website is under construction. Clifton Park Beverage Center also plans to host regular tasting events.
“Kushan has a lot of affiliations with local breweries and micro-breweries, so we will have a lot of those tasting events,” said Shah. “Everyone knows what a Bud Light and a Coors Light tastes like, but this will give customers an opportunity to try other beers.”
Although the store has been open for just a few weeks, Shah said he and his partners are pleased with the community’s response.
“We’ve already seeing a lot of repeat customers which is very satisfying,” Shah noted. “People have been very appreciative that we are here. They are saying, ‘Thank God, you are here. We needed something like this in the area.’”
Clifton Park Beverage is open Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.