One of the Triangle’s most revered and frequented bottle shop brands is scheduled to shut its doors next month.

The proprietor of Sam’s Bottle Shop made the announcement that its South Durham beer haven will cease operations on Feb. 11, marking a decade-long journey.

The terminus symbolizes the end of an even more extended saga for the Sam’s brand, an influential figure in inciting the Triangle’s fondness for artisanal beer, through its entities Sam’s Quik Shop and Bottle Shop.

“The last 40 years, out of the total 80 years of our family business, have been an enormous blessing for me,” expressed owner John Boy in a video release on the Sam’s Bottle Shop Facebook page. “Over these years, I’ve become acquainted with countless customers, industry insiders and struck up many friendships. The layers of love and support from all of you have been heartwarming. Taking leave is proving to be a profound challenge.”

Sam’s Bottle Shop was established in 2014 and despite its closure after 10 years, its commitment to advocating for craft beer in the Triangle remains as part of its heritage.

Back in 1947, Carl Boy and his family began a gas station business on Erwin Road in Durham, which eventually transitioned into the Blue Light Restaurant.

Upon the restaurant’s closure in 1974, it was transformed into Sam’s Quik Shop, functioning as a convenience store.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, according to John Boy, his mother Gerry ensured a variety of beer options that extended beyond typical American brands. Under her influence, the Quik Shop highlighted imported beers and, to the extent possible at the time, craft beers.

John Boy indicated that as the demand for craft beer rose, the Quik Stop’s business model gradually transitioned from a traditional convenience store model to resemble that of a bottle shop more closely.

In recent years, Sam’s Quik Shop, under the management of John Boy, the grandson of Carl, shifted its focus onto craft beer from the United States and the rest of the world. It was one of the select locations in Triangle where enthusiasts of beer could consistently locate the latest west coast IPA, unique Belgian lambics, and much more.

In a telephonic conversation, Boy commented, “Its popularity continued to grow exponentially. As the demand increased, other sections of the store were gradually phased out and replaced with craft beer. It is important to note that this transformation would never have been possible if my mother had not started selling the then-available beer. At that time, no other store was venturing into this.”

John Boy sold the property situated on Erwin Road to a real estate developer named Wilmorite Construction in 2018. The deal was valued at $5 million. Subsequently, Sam’s Quik Shop had to shut down towards the year’s end. Presently, a seven-story student housing complex named Blue Light Living occupies that site, which pays homage to the previous occupant Blue Light Restaurant.

In closing Sam’s Quik Shop, Boy noted the property’s legacy and various forms in Durham.

“I would like to thank the generations of customers and employees that have walked through the doors of The Blue Light and Sam’s Quik Shop,” Boy said in the Facebook post on Dec. 31, 2018. “Thank you for your support, loyalty and your neighbor-like spirit. This is not an easy decision to come to and I thought about so many things, my parents, me growing up in this store, the changing times from when it was a diner & drive-in to a convenience store with movie rentals and a large beer selection to the premier beer store in North Carolina it has become today.”

Sam’s Bottle Shop continued on for the last five years, offering a larger retail and drinking space and a rooftop bar. Boy owns the Bottle Shop building and said there isn’t yet another business lined up to take it over.

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