Former CVS in College Park to become philanthropic wine and spirits store – GrowthSpotter

Since starting his wine and spirits business less than a year ago, Ray Horal often has to pinch himself to make sure he’s not dreaming.

He’s been blown away by the amount of support he’s received from the community for a unique retail concept that focuses on philanthropy.

“In the last four to six months, opportunities have really come to us,” Horal said from his headquarters in Maitland. “It’s been exciting. Every now and again there’s this ‘pinch-me’ moment of ‘Wow, this is crazy.’ The takeaway is that this might be bigger than we think.”

The Good Pour, started by Horal and his wife, Giuliana, is gearing up to make a big move after taking over the lease of the former CVS store in the heart of College Park at 2201 Edgewater Drive.

Before the store can open though, the city of Orlando has to grant a conditional use permit to allow alcohol sales within 100 feet of a church.

The support keeps pouring in. With the item set to go before the city’s Municipal Planning Board on Sept. 19, nearby church leaders are stepping up to welcome their new neighbor.

The company expects to donate an average of 6.5% to 8% of every purchase to nonprofits. Horal said some products would see more than 10% of the sale going to the charity of the customer’s choice.

To Merrill Frailey, the pastor of College Park United Methodist Church located directly across the street, it’s a cause worth getting behind.

“I’m big on philanthropy, and their whole mission to give back to nonprofits is huge to me,” she told GrowthSpotter. “I’m happy that they are coming. I think they have a great program and I’m excited about it.”

The company opened its first franchise location in Winter Garden in January. Its Gainesville store is expected to welcome its first customers in the coming month while the owners are seeking final approval from the city of Longwood to move into a True Value hardware store there.

Plans are underway to open locations in Oviedo, Maitland, Apopka, Lake Nona, and Lakeland.

But the move to the heart of College Park in Orlando would mark a significant milestone for the start-up company. While the other planned locations are part of franchising agreements, the recently vacated CVS leased by The Good Pour would serve as the site of its first corporate store — a model for other stores to follow.

Initial plans by Good Pour called for the company to open its flagship store in Winter Park, but plans shifted once owners discovered the College Park site.

Constructed in 1946, the corner building sits at the northeast intersection of Edgewater and W. Princeton Street. It covers 9,000 square feet and is surrounded by condominiums and apartment units. The seven-story Wellesley Condominium rises to the north while the 205-unit Princeton at College Park rises on adjacent property to the east.

Those nearby residential communities would provide a built-in customer base for the wine and spirit retailer once it opens in November.

“We felt that College Park was the right fit,” Horal said recently from the company’s Maitland headquarters. “We love the location. This is going to be huge for us.”

The renovation process has already started. The Good Pour team painted the exterior. They’ve ripped up flooring and added new light fixtures.

“We are investing heavily into this location,” said Susan Boucher, the company’s director of strategic partnerships. “It’s going to be beautiful.”

The retailer will offer more than just wine and liquor. Site plans submitted to the city show a large gift section at the front of the store that will offer home goods, premium barware, glassware, candles, as well as a laser-engraving service. There will be a space reserved for people to build their own gift baskets.

The store will also feature a tasting area for samples.

But a major tenet of the business model is giving back. The company utilizes a new App program also created by Horal and Rossi called BOHO — which stands for “Buy One, Help Others.”

Through the app, customers can choose which charity they want to help by selecting from more than a dozen organizations. They can also track how much money they’ve given to these organizations with their purchases.

“It’s not just about wine and spirits, it’s about the purpose,” Horal said. “It’s about the mission, it’s about doing something good. And I think in a world that can be divisive and kind of negative, people want something that feels good.”

The Good Pour was among several businesses vying to lease the building after the CVS vacated in May, according to Ben Kuykendall, a broker with First Capital Property Group who marketed the property.

“We had a few handfuls worth of offers,” he said, adding that many were from national retail tenants. “A lot of different concepts such as fitness, food and beverage, retail. There was really strong interest in the site. Obviously, a lot of that is due to the demographics, household incomes, and walkability of College Park, especially in that specific location. That really is the center of College Park.”

He said that The Good Pour stood out among the offers.

“The landlord is very excited,” Kuykendall said. “It’s a local concept and it feels like a great fit for the neighborhood. And then of course the charitable component as well. It just makes it slightly more interesting and attractive. They are a high-integrity group, they are really motivated and they are growing really fast.”

More growth is on the horizon.