Happy Harry’s Wine & Spirits’ Maria Rodriguez,
Alpa Patel and Mayur Patel.

Happy Harry’s Wine & Spirits
767 Pine Street
Bristol, CT

Square footage: 8,400

Years in operation: 8 years

By Sara Capozzi

Celebrating eight years in business last month, Happy Harry’s Wine & Spirits continues to bring its great selection, low prices and friendly service to the Bristol area. Part of Harry Patel’s group of package stores in the state, which includes Happy Harry’s locations in Newington, West Haven and Hamden, the bustling Bristol location gets plenty of foot traffic from shoppers, who mostly hail from town and are frequenting the Stop & Shop Plaza, according to store manager Mayur Patel.

Shopping is easy in the bright and well-organized shop, with selections marked with clear signage. And when customers need help, Happy Harry’s team of four, which includes Alpa Patel and sales associate Maria Rodriguez, are more than happy to assist. “We’re all nice here—that attitude helps too,” Rodriguez said.

“We try to be friendly and family-oriented. I’m a people person and I joke a lot; I make everybody family and we make everybody feel at home. We keep everything as neat and as findable as possible. And we try to be as knowledgeable and helpful as possible as well,” she said.

Happy Harry’s is constantly bringing in new items, Rodriguez said, and the team regularly educates itself on each new SKU in order to give customers recommendations and pairing suggestions. Plus, the team is happy to put together large orders and track down special items.

“We have no problem filling orders and we try to adjust to customers to give them whatever they need,” Rodriguez said. “We try to do as much as we can to be knowledgeable, nice and try to have everything. If we don’t have something, we’ll look it up, find it at another store and have it for you tomorrow, or we’ll have a vendor come bring it to us.”

Wine is the top selling category at Happy Harry’s and the shop offers a wide array of big-name and boutique brands from around the world. According to Rodriguez, shoppers consistently seek out mainstay brands such as Josh Cellars, with Champagne and sparkling wines popular standout picks. In spirits, tequila is a most popular customer purchase, while craft beer and ready-to-drink cocktails sell very well.

Customers enjoy supporting state businesses and the shop offers local selections from distilleries like Connecticut Distilling and Connecticut-based craft breweries. Happy Harry’s keeps a range of ciders, gluten-free beer, and nonalcoholic wines and beer regularly stocked to appeal to the needs of all its diverse clientele.

The team regularly maintains its front displays, keeping new, seasonal and sale items visible for shoppers looking for deals or gifts or bottles for their next celebration. Happy Harry’s offers great options for gift-giving and special events, stocking plenty of selections for parties and special occasions such as giftable decorative wine bottles, gift packaging and party supplies. The shop also offers free gift wrapping and gift baskets.

Happy Harry’s stays connected with customers through its social media channels and offers weekly in-store tastings on Friday and Saturday evenings. Additionally, the team prioritizes involvement with the community, regularly donating to local events and charitable causes.