Brick City Spirits has been under the same roof as Brick City Market and Deli for the past two months. The merger was orchestrated by owner Andrew Anderson who wanted his liquor store to experience the same benefits as the market, including the parking lot and employee base. P-J photo by Eric Zavinski

Brick City is known to Jamestown residents as many things: the only liquor store in the downtown area as well as a market and deli that offers uniquely themed and prepared subs and pizzas.

This year, owner Andrew Anderson decided to merge his Brick City Spirits business, formerly of a Third Street address, into the same building at the 101 W. Fourth St. location in order for both of his Brick City businesses to take advantage of a parking lot and same employee base.

Currently, Brick City Spirits and Brick City Market and Deli is across the street from the upcoming DoubleTree by Hilton Jamestown, a renovated hotel establishment Anderson hopes will bring more customers to his stores soon.

From the onset of Brick City Market in July 2015 and the Spirits business soon after in August of that same year, Anderson had set his sights on new tourist attractions bringing in business from more than just local residents. As the National Comedy Center had originally been slated to open significantly earlier than Aug. 1, 2018, Anderson hoped that a year-round attraction would bring in more customers as he has often experienced with events that bring in visitors including the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, Jamestown Cruise-In and the Gus Macker basketball tournament.

Anderson said there is an uptake in business with local events and new features of Jamestown bringing in more customers and that the correlation is clear.

“I’m hoping with everything going on, Jamestown brings in people other than the residents,” Anderson said. “We’re holding out for all these other cool things.”

Anderson’s business redesign has allowed for more convenience and a fairly smooth transition, he noted. After the Spirits location on Third Street closed at the end of March and the liquor license was transferred to its new corner location, customers have been able to come in and get exactly the drink they want as of May 1.

Brick City Spirits used to be an aisle-based store for customers to peruse the types of alcohol on display, but now, those interested in getting some drinks need only go up to the counter and ask the employee working at the time to get what they want. Anderson also said having both businesses in the same location also makes sense if people want to get a meal or groceries and drinks at the same time. Ingredients for a rum and coke for instance are only just a doorway away.

“We’ve slowly been building our inventory back up,” Anderson said.

With the two Brick City offerings having been in the same place for more than two months, Anderson said he has experienced a more concise way to manage his businesses together and hopefully reach new patrons in the future. Someone who perhaps only visited one Brick City business is now exposed to the other just by entering the store.

A removable wall separates the Spirits and Market/Deli parts of the store, as New York state law prohibits vendors that sell alcohol being mixed in with grocery outlets. That is not the case in all states however, and if the law in New York ever changes, the wall can come down for Brick City to feel even more integrated.

Business typically increases for Brick City in the summer months, and this year is no exception. New signage courtesy of Barron Signs also helps to attract new customers and show off the merger.

The Brick City Market and Deli still offers brick oven pizzas and specialty subs along with its breakfast sandwiches, soups, salads and daily specials. The subs and pizzas can have the same ingredients and are named after sitcoms or comedians posthumously. A signature sandwich called The Lucy and pizza called The Farley are just two of many examples. For more information or to place an order, call 484-4844. The business is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday.

A family-oriented business, Anderson is also a teacher with his wife, and they recently finished a stint educating youth in the Bahamas. Anderson will be overseeing Brick City this summer before traveling to Ethiopia to teach mathematics and science while his wife will teach elementary school and special education classes.