Knowing customers on a first name basis is only the beginning for new Main St. Wines & Spirits owner Hardeep Gosal and his introduction to downtown.

Gosal, 29, believes now is the best time to enter the Eudora market as a potential swell for city business traffic increases with the construction of the new De Soto battery plant.

In April, Gosal became the new business owner of the store at 728 Main St. Since then, he has been working on renovations and recently celebrated a grand opening.

The new owner learned the liquor store was in the process of looking at new ownership from his cousin, a De Soto resident. As a Shawnee resident, Gosal couldn’t believe he was now the owner of a Eudora business but knew an opportunity was knocking.

“I wasn’t really in the market when I found out about the store,” Gosal said. “It was kind of a last-minute thing, and I decided to pull the trigger.”

Visiting Main St. Wines & Spirits opened Gosal’s eyes to the potential of the downtown area.

Eudora will continue to grow with the estimated 4,000 new jobs the Panasonic battery plant offers to neighboring cities, Gosal said.

“Based on the number of jobs Panasonic is saying, there is no way they can house all those employees,” he said “I think a lot of those employees will scatter around to neighboring communities, like Eudora, and that sets up a nice future for a lot of businesses here.”

Gosal is someone who firmly believes in customer service and is already making a name for himself on the Main Street strip.

Gosal was pleased with how many people attended his grand opening and came to enjoy a slice of his heritage. During the event, residents were served Indian food dishes, such as butter chicken, samosas and naan bread.

Z&M Twisted Vines Winery and Vineyard offered a selection of wines during the grand opening.

The veteran-owned and operated winery is part of the Eudora Chamber and works to maintain its relationship with other communities, owner Gina Montalbano said.

“We love to share our products with local places and businesses,” Montalbano said. “Having our products in Eudora is important as we have been working to add our wines to store shelves there.”

A selection of Twisted Vines wines can be purchased at Main St. Wines & Spirits. Montalbano is eager to keep in contact with Gosal with hopes of more collaboration and products on his shelf space.

The ribbon cutting played a large role in why Gosal views Eudora as a great location to begin his new chapter.

“Here I get to know the city and its people,” Gosal said. “In Kansas City, you’re never going to be able to do that so here I can work in a hometown vibe, which I like a lot.”

The previous owner, Gary Ellis, still comes into the store often to chat with Gosal and his crew. Ellis and his wife EJ owned the store for 18 years before handing the keys to Gosal and tries to help wherever he can, Gosal said.

“They like the store and how it turned out,” Gosal said.

Ellis and Gosal continue to communicate what the future needs of the store may be, but one detail Ellis appreciated is the continuation of the business’s name.

While Gosal is still settling down to his new business, he already has plans for expansion.

“Eudora is a city that backs up its downtown area with all the grants business owners receive,” he said. “Everything continues to look nicer and as the city grows, so will we.”

Reach reporter William Crow at [email protected].

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