“You have Grey Goose shooters?”

“No. They’re out of stock. I have Absolut,” said Aster Kidane, at John’s Liquors, 1816 East Colfax Avenue in Denver.

It’s 10:15 a.m., a time when there is typically a lull in Kidane’s business. Usually a few people are waiting to enter underneath the neon John’s Liquors sign when she opens at 8 a.m. She politely welcomes customers in for an hour or so, handling the transactions without judgment as to why one is waiting at 8 a.m. to buy a shooter.

She is there to run her business, to complete the transaction. She commands the store, expecting customers to be respectful, select what they need, and go on their way. Kildane juggles customers for about an hour or so, then there’s a break.

The pause gives her time to survey the shelves and re-stock bottles that customers purchased the night before. She carefully places a bottle on the metal shelf, readjusting to make sure it aligns with those behind it. 

There’s a consistent ebb-and-flow to the day. There’s the morning rush, a pause, lunchtime busyness, and then those who pop in on their way home from work. That’s the daily routine for Kidane, who has worked every day since she bought John’s Liquors ten months ago. 

“Owning a liquor store is my dream,” she said. “I work long hours every day. But this is my choice and it’s just what I must do for a while.”

Kidane’s parents own liquor stores. It’s become something of a symbol of financial security and achievement. The pride and sense of fulfillment in pursuing that goal gives Kidane the energy to unlock the doors each morning and work long hours without complaint. It’s a long way from northeast Africa, where she came from about 20 years ago.

“I came to Colorado and there was a blizzard,” she laughs. “It was a completely different atmosphere in so many ways. I had to learn English and a new culture.”

Her family was already here and helped her settle. Since moving to the Denver-Metro area, Kidane’s jobs have included work at a bank, as a part-time parking attendant, at Arby’s, and as a driver for Uber and Lyft. Her most recent job was as a non-medical transportation driver, a business that became increasingly challenging during the pandemic. There were fewer appointments and events to drive people to, and she was nervous about having strangers in the car, she said.

At a crossroads, it was a good time for her to take a leap. She saw that John’s Liquors was up for sale, submitted her offer, and officially became owner of the store in July 2021. Kidane is one of thousands of people in the U.S. who filed for a new business license during the pandemic. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that business applications nearly doubled during the first few months of the pandemic in 2020. They report that applications are still elevated and well above pre-pandemic levels, hitting 427,842 in August of 2021, according to NBC News.

Throughout the peak of the pandemic Kidane was careful and wore a mask. Most of her customers reciprocated without issue. Most of them are part of a  sturdy base of regulars who frequent the East Colfax fixture. Kidane enjoys seeing the familiar faces and sets their favorite bottles out on the counter, ready for a quick transaction when the customers walk through the door.

It turns out that selling alcohol during the pandemic is a good business. IBIS World, a market industry research company, confirmed what most people already suspected, that demand for alcoholic beverages has significantly increased during the pandemic. In addition, they predict that the industry will continue to grow over the next five years.

Despite the growing sales, there’s been challenges that business owners in most retail industries are experiencing, such as staffing and supply chain issues. In the case of alcoholic beverages, glass, bottle caps are in shorter supply and aluminum cans have grown more expensive to manufacture. As a result, Kidane adapts to the changes, monitoring prices, supply, and popularity at her store. 

Regardless of what comes at her, long hours, price changes, and taking on a small business during a worldwide pandemic, Kidane is going all in with her East Colfax business. She’s optimistic about the future and her chances for success. Her optimism evokes the familiar story of the United States, and more specifically East Colfax, a place people are often drawn to if they’re looking for a change or a new start.

“I believe in the American Dream,” she said. “I am living on it. America is the land of opportunity for me and a lot of other people.”