New Liquor Store Slated to Open in Inver Grove Heights

After Neil Sorensen lost his downtown job three years ago, his oldest son came to him and asked him if they could open a liquor store together.

Sorensen, who was close to retiring, decided to take a risk: With money from his retirement savings he bought a storefront in Eagan and started Mayjune Corporation, a company that took its first name from the middle names of Sorensen’s mother and mother-in-law.

Now Sorensen, who runs the business with the help of his family, plans to open a second store in the Salem Square Shopping Center on Robert Trail South in Inver Grove Heights. Sorensen expects to close a lease agreement for the property this week. Last Monday, the Inver Grove Heights City Council unanimously approved a liquor license for the new business, called “Laser Liquor.” The store will likely be located in the space currently occupied by , Sorensen said.

The new venture, which is less than five miles away from Sorensen’s original, 950-square-foot liquor store in Eagan, offers several advantages for the family, Sorensen said. A second store will allow the family to save money by making larger bulk liquor purchases.

The location of the new business is also ideal, Sorensen said, because the store is just south of the West St. Paul city limits. Liquor stores in that community can only stay open until 8pm on weekdays because of city ordinances, while Inver Grove Heights stores are allowed to remain open until 10pm. Because he is able to remain open for longer hours, Sorensen expects to draw a lot of late-evening traffic from West St. Paul — which will be an added boon to the business. Eventually, Sorensen also hopes to hold beer- and wine-tasting events at Laser Liquors and become involved in the community.

“We’re not going half-hearted at this thing,” Sorensen said.

Sorensen’s wife is quitting her job as a flight attendant to manage the store in Inver Grove Heights with Sorensen’s daughter, while Sorensen’s oldest son will continue to manage the store in Eagan.

Sorensen’s second-oldest son, Craig Sorensen, has helped his family with much of the planning for the second store. Eventually, Craig Sorensen hopes the family will be able to open a third or even fourth store.

“It is nice to see things finally come together,” Craig Sorensen said of the opening of the second store. “We learned so much from running the first store, that it was a natural step to move on to another one.”

Working with family members has been a “blessing,” Sorensen said.

“I never dreamt that my family would come together like this,” Sorensen said. “I see my children everyday.”

LIQUOR LICENSES

The city of Inver Grove Heights has issued eight active off-sale intoxicating liquor licenses, according to Deputy City Clerk Melissa Rheaume. Businesses applying for an off-sale liquor license in Inver Grove Heights must submit to a criminal background check and obtain liability insurance for the business before the Inver Grove Heights City Council votes to approve the liquor license issuance. There is no limit to the number of liquor licenses the city can issue, Rheaume said.