International wine and liquor sales proposed for new store on Detroit and W. 61st
by Chuck Hoven

(Plain Press, March 2008) Thirty Detroit Shoreway residents came to the offices of the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization in early February to hear a proposal for a new wine, liquor, cigar and convenience store at the current Convenient store at W. 61st and Detroit Avenue.

Ward 17 Councilman Matt Zone opened the meeting with a description of some investments planned for Detroit Avenue including the now fully funded renovation of the Capital Theatre. Zone indicated that public investment in the neighborhood was attracting private investors. Zone introduced Malek Abood, who along with his nephew would be partners in the proposed new business. Zone said the proposed new business would include the sale of high-end wine and liquor.

Councilman Zone indicated that, while he supported the project he felt would be compatible with Arts and Entertainment District being created along Detroit Avenue, he understood the community may have some reservation about a state liquor store in the neighborhood. Zone said he would not support the project without the community’s stamp of approval.

As an insurance policy, Zone offered to create a binding agreement with the new owners. He said he hoped members of the community would voice their concerns about the project so they could be included in a cooperative agreement with the new owners of the business and the property. He said such an agreement would be a binding document that would assure the best interests of the community were followed if the project is approved by residents and moves forward.

Malek Abood said when he first came to Cleveland he lived near W. 88th and Detroit and lived in the neighborhood from 1976 to 1981. He remembers fondly the Thursday night Arabic movies at the Capital Theater during that time period that were a great comfort to him as he adjusted to living in a new city. He said he was impressed with plans for neighborhood improvements described by Councilman Zone and had a “gut feeling” that the neighborhood was a good place to invest in a new business.

Malek Abood described his proposed store as a wine shop with a liquor component. He said the store would sell high-end international wines, would feature wine tasting, a humidor to keep cigars fresh, and a selection of groceries. He said the store would try not to sell street wine or single cans of beer, which he believes create problems he does not want associated with his establishment. He said he has a State of Ohio Liquor Franchise and the State would determine the types of liquor the store would sell. The liquor would be in a self-contained area behind a counter.

Abood urged residents to visit stores he currently operates the Village Bootlegger in Brecksville and Mookies Beverage in North Randall. He said like his other stores, he plans a quality operation. He mentioned features like ceramic tiles and a deli.

Residents seemed to approve when he mentioned the store would be open from 7 a.m. to no later than 10 p.m. unless the community wanted later hours. Someone asked if it could be open to eleven. They mentioned some dissatisfaction with the limited hours of the current convenient store on the site.

Additional requests by residents included fine cheeses in the deli, high quality micro brews, some green environmentally friendly features in the rehabilitation of the store, a quality store like the convenient store on W. 112th and Clifton, and hours that would make the store an option as place to purchase a newspaper in the morning. Residents seemed pleased that there would be quality wines in the neighborhood, saying they now had to leave the neighborhood to buy a good wine.

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