Coastal Wine & Spirits
103 N Main Street
Branford, CT
Square footage: 25,000
Years in operation: 9 years under current ownership
By Sara Capozzi
Centrally located off Route 1 in Branford, Coastal Wine & Spirits has brought its unmatched selection and personal brand of customer service to the area for nine years. According to Assistant Store Manager and Beer Manager Dominique Kolodziejczyk, Coastal is a destination store and part of the family of stores owned by Chip Delaney, which includes Amity New Haven, Amity Hamden, Classic Liquors in New Milford and Town Line in Stratford. And with 25,000 square feet of retail space, Coastal is able to carry a wide range of inventory.
“I think we have more of a vast selection here because we try to be kind of a destination store and make sure we have as many different SKUs as possible—we want to be a one-stop shop—so you don’t have to go anywhere else for anything,” Kolodziejczyk said. “Also, I think having the knowledge in all three departments makes us differ [from competitors] because we have specialists for all three, so there’s always somebody who can help you.”
The store employs several experts, including Kolodziejczyk in craft beer and its Spirits Manager Jason Sabatine and Wine Manager Sergio Leon. “We try to treat customers with as much respect as we can give them and we like teaching customers,” Kolodziejczyk said. “We like educating them about products and talking to them about what we like. Jason will educate some people with bourbon in the bourbon aisle and teach them fun facts and things … I love passing on any knowledge I can to anybody and it’s fun for us.”
Kolodziejczyk said she has seen an increased demand for ready-to-drink vodka sodas and tequila, while craft beer sales have decreased. “Craft beer is unfortunately on the downslope,” she said. “[Ready-to-drink cocktails] are definitely cutting into that market. And a lot of the better-for-you things are coming up, too, like a lot of the lower-calorie wines, the no-sugar wines, that’s also a big trend too. It seems like people are trying to be healthier after what happened with COVID.”
Coastal serves a diverse customer base. Many shoppers skew older due to the store’s proximity to several senior living facilities; yet, that is combined with a younger boating crowd who stops in during the warmer months. The team gives its customers personalized customer service and often shares its extensive knowledge with shoppers.
Customers enjoy a variety of other perks, including in-store tastings on weekends and in-store classroom tastings where brand representatives educate customers on wines and liquors. Past classes have covered brands including Woodford Reserve, Dos Hombres Mezcal and Decoy. Coastal also offers shopping and pickup through its website, where customers can see staff picks and pairing suggestions as they look for purchases.
“I think delivery is big with customers and we surprise people with how far we deliver,” Kolodziejczyk said. Coastal offers delivery services via City Hive for a large range of the central Connecticut coastline area of Madison to New Haven and reaching into Hamden. Coastal also works closely with caterers to provide beverage services for special events and weddings.