Big Bet Goes Bad

Almost exactly three years ago, I lauded Eric Stein for his “big bet” in opening The Wine Seller in Shipley’s Grant. It was then the early days of the recession and this was his second HoCo store. Eric was one of the few loco businesses that dared to expand during those dark days.

Sadly it looks as if he lost that bet. When I drove past the store early this week I noticed the store had closed.

Three years ago few suspected that the economy would still be limping along in 2011.

It is also a sort of weird coincidence that it was overcast and raining when I took my first picture of his then new store and the weather was exactly the same when I snapped this picture on Wednesday.