O’Riley’s Wine & Spirits Owner Jamie Fisher and Manager Christine Deschene.

O’Riley’s Wine & Spirits
960 New London Turnpike
Glastonbury, CT 

Square footage: 1,400

Years in operation: 19 years under current ownership

By Sara Capozzi

Since the 1970s, O’Riley’s Wine & Spirits has served the town of Glastonbury, a legacy which has been carried on for almost two decades under its current owner, Jamie Fisher.

Fisher was new to the industry when he purchased the shop in July of 2007. He was looking to make a career change after spending almost 30 years working in finance for large corporations including Fidelity, Travelers, Mass Mutual and The Hartford. “I wanted to be more in control of my day-to-day activities and future, so I wanted something small that I owned rather than working for big companies,” he said. “And then I bought the store and I never looked back. It was a homerun right from the very beginning. It’s a great gig; I loved it here – still do.”

Located in a prime location on the New London Turnpike, O’Riley’s is a convenient stop for commuters heading east off of Route 2 on their way home from work in the evening, Fisher said. He and his team keep a well-rounded selection neatly stocked within the shop’s 1,400 square feet, offering an array of approachable fine wines, a plentiful bourbon selection including allocated items from brands such as Buffalo Trace, Willet, Eagle Rare and Blanton’s and plenty of beer and seltzers, all popular sellers.

While Fisher’s focus at O’Riley’s used to be more on its wine selection, these days, its most popular items are ready-to-drink cocktails and low ABV hard seltzers, where Sun Cruiser is currently the store’s top seller. “Liquor sales have shifted with the younger [drinkers] towards more of the [RTD] cocktails,” he said. “We can barely keep them in stock. And now people are drinking less and less alcohol, so we’re carrying a lot of alcohol-free wine and beer.”

In wine, customers often reach for classic California wine brands like Josh Winery and Kendall-Jackson. Each member of the O’Riley’s team has their own favorite bottles they recommend to customers. “We have our signature wines that we’re proud of that we’ll always carry,” Fisher said, noting his favorite, Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon. “People love it; it’s kind of the store wine. But it doesn’t mean it’s the best wine. It’s just the one that I personally love, and we always do well with it … all of my employees have their own go-to’s.”

Fisher said that what sets the store apart is its customer service, which customers regularly rate highly online for its friendly atmosphere and quick ordering of special items at each customer’s request. “I take a lot of pride in our reviews,” Fisher said. “People love our service, and our atmosphere, and our friendliness. We do a lot of special orders and people love that because often we’ll get them the next day. They love our staff. It’s really about good old-fashioned customer service.”

Fisher credits his closeknit team of employees, many of whom have worked for him for a decade or more, for his success, especially Manager Christine Deschene, who has worked at O’Riley’s since 2004 under the previous owner. “I couldn’t run this place without her,” Fisher said. “She works here the most and has most of the knowledge. She knows the inventory like the back of her hand.”

“The customers are my favorite part of working here,” Deschene said. “Our customers are great. And for me, being here so long, they’re more like family than just customers.”