Upscale liquor store opens in South McAllen

McALLEN — A walk around Feldman’s Market Center near South 10th Street and Business 83 might make customers forget they’re in the Rio Grande Valley.

In fact, it’s a lot more like upscale stores found in Austin, Seattle or other large, eclectic metropolitan cities.

Filling the entry to the store are 200 varieties of exotic cheeses and a deli with salmon, pastas and fresh strawberries. The smell of Spanish cedar wafts from the humidor, and dark-wood floors give the store a more sophisticated look.

At the east end of the store a glass cabinet stores worldclass whiskeys, including a $3,500 bottle of 175th anniversary Johnnie Walker Blue whiskey. And the wine room showcases bottles of 1997 Pétrus, a Bordeaux retailing at $3,500 for a 1.5-liter bottle.

In late November, Feldman’s Valley Wide opened its new concept store near downtown McAllen.

But general manager Steve Savina points to the deli, food and cigar sections when comparing it to other liquor stores.

“It’s more than just a liquor store,” he said.

Feldman’s, the Corpus Christi-based liquor store chain, owns eight locations in the Rio Grande Valley under the Feldman’s Valley Wide name and about 20 total stores in South Texas.

But the new location in McAllen is the first in their new market center chain, a liquor store and grocery market, specializing in fine liquors, wines and exotic, sophisticated foods.

Eventually the chain hopes to open the market centers in locations throughout all of South Texas’ major markets, including Corpus Christi, Brownsville and Harlingen, said Richard Schroer, an Austin-based investor in the company.

But investors decided McAllen was the best place to test the new concept.

“We felt that the market is ready for this,” Schroer said. “We feel that this is an underserved area.”

After nearly two weeks of operations, Savina said sales and turnout have exceeded operations. The store is busy all hours of the day, he said.

In addition to food, liquor and wine, the deli serves lunches. Savina also takes pride in the large selection of fine chocolates.

“You won’t see this anywhere else in the Valley,” he said.

And the store has a winetasting lounge in the rear.

While there are plans to open up elsewhere, the chain has yet to purchase property for a second Feldman’s Market Center store.