In just two weeks, the Astoria Liquor Store will be open in a new location.

Moving from the 2700 block of Marine Drive to 730 Bond St., owner Tobi Nielsen says the new shop will be more accessible, with a bigger parking lot.

“The store will be much handier downtown,” Nielsen said. “The store now is quite out of town and has a somewhat small parking lot that’s hard to get in and out of with the traffic of Marine Drive. We decided that we wanted to get more into the downtown core for walking traffic and to serve more Astoria customers.”

Nielsen and her husband David have been the agents of the Astoria Liquor Store for the last two years and have one employee. She said the store has been in the Marine Drive location for at least five years and since taking it over, their business has continued to grow.

She said the liquor store sees about 1,200 people per week and sells about $1.7 million in volume per year.

From 2008 to 2010, Nielsen said they have contributed $236,252 to the city of Astoria for programs through the general funds of Astoria and Clatsop County.

“We think it will be a better financial move on our part to be downtown,” she said. “I think business will definitely increase, especially when cruise ships are here and the tourist industry is booming and growing.”

The new location, in suite A on Bond Street, was formerly a mattress store, a check-cashing store and an auto parts store, Nielsen said. The new Liquor Store will have Russian birch cabinets with granite tops, which Nielsen called very upscale.

The move will take place Nov. 14 and the new store will be open Nov. 15. A grand opening is being scheduled in a few weeks, with “tasting, food and fun.”