Te Awamutu's newest liquor store aims to be "more than a just a bottle shop".
Owner Sam Prasad wants Merchants Liquor to be an experience.
Sam bought his first liquor store at age 18 in 2005. Since then he's helped set up six liquor stores in Hamilton and part-owned one in Raglan.
The opportunity to take over Te Awamutu's LiquorLand came up, and it was a no-brainer for Sam to purchase and rebrand the store as Merchants Liquor.
Sam, who studied business at the University of Waikato, has big plans for the shop.
He says Merchants aims to be a "destination" for people to visit.
By the end of the year Sam wants to establish social clubs for wine, craft beer and whiskey enthusiasts.
