The Milton-Freewater Liquor Store operates Dec. 4, 2023, at its new location, 178 S. Main St., Milton-Freewater.

MILTON-FREEWATER — More than two months after its move, some folks still are trying to find the new address of the Milton-Freewater Liquor Store.

“Everyone’s used to us being there,” co-owner Jeff Seadorf said, laughing. “We still have people calling us to find out where we are.”

After decades at its South Main Street location, on Oct. 1 the store opened for business several blocks north, in a building set sideways on the lot at 178 S. Main St.

Built to house three businesses, the spot offers the space his business desperately needed, Seadorf said.

The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission owns, inspects and certifies more than 280 liquor stores in this state. Service agents, including Jeff and Trudy Seadorf, manage and operate the stores. While Trudy oversees their Hermiston liquor store, Jeff runs Milton-Freewater’s shop.

When this operation came up for sale more than six years ago, the couple had gained experience in Hermiston and were ready to expand.

“It had great possibilities,” Jeff Seadorf said, recalling the Milton-Freewater shop had untapped potential.

Adding to the mixFirst thing on the to-do list was to shake customers out of their rut, he said.

“The store was basic … People were so used to buying the ‘same ol,’ same ol,’” he said. “We brought in Northwest products and people liked the idea of their money staying in the region. Versus the national brands, where the money goes back East or out of the country. People like supporting Northwest business people. And the Northwest is constantly winning awards, and the products they use are local.”

Take wheat and rye — those crops are growing right out the back door for some of the region’s distilleries. His business model is to showcase that kind of connection and work ethic wherever he can, he added.

When Washington state voted to privatize alcohol sales in 2011, it was a blow to most residents of that state, Seadorf said. What had looked good on the ballot turned out to be much harder on the wallet, he explained, noting the extra state taxes and fees tacked on to each bottle sent prices sky high.

Just about everyone who could get to an Oregon liquor store to buy products did so, he said.

His customer base flipped to 55-60% Washington customers and the store’s sales nearly doubled.

Such growth allowed Seadorf to bring in higher-end, specialty and niche products, earning him a reputation among customers as the guy who can find anything.

“If customers want certain products and Oregon (approves it), I can bring it in,” he said. “The OLCC ships me the product and when it sells, I pay them. That allows us to carry specialty products.”

$4 million in salesIt was only a matter of time before the business would require more space. The new location’s 3,800 square-feet and 32 off-street parking spaces gives the store more retail and storage space, plus room for an office, Seadorf has said.

According to OLCC’s numbers for distilled spirits sales, from November, 2022 through October, 2023, the Milton-Freewater liquor store did just more than $4 million in sales. Umatilla County saw $18,729,300 sales in its liquor stores in that time period.

Among other accounts, some of that money goes into paying for mental health, alcohol and drug services, according to the state.

There has been some push to follow Washington’s path and privatize liquor sales over recent years. Seadorf said he believes that would be a big mistake.

“It would put 360 stores out of business,” he said. “See what happened in Washington, the prices almost doubled and the state wanted the revenues. And your selection would totally go away — you have to look at square-inch per shelf and every product has to pull its weight.”

Oregon’s model gives owners the leeway to try things on for size for their communities and customers. For example, a single barrel bourbon from the Ezra Brooks distillery in Kentucky was allocated to the Seadorfs’ Hermiston and Milton-Freewater stores, and will only be available at those two locations in Oregon.

To make that happen, a store owner has to show ability to sell the product, Jeff Seadorf said, “And it’s a lot of work to sell the product.”

The new retail space makes that a little easier, giving the store space to add displays.

“Everybody likes the new look,” he said. “It’s pleasing to people.”

And in January, he said, he can start organizing and adding products, such as bourbon and tequila. He said those are the two areas that are growing.