To Brown’s Bottle Shop in Stillwater, OK

Our Story

From Humble Beginnings

Brown’s Bottle Shop has been in business for over 60 years. When Oklahoma went “wet” in 1959, a small package store opened for business behind the ‘Honk & Holler’ at the corner of Main and Miller Streets. Several years later, Dick and Carlene Brown acquired the store in the fall of 1966.

By 1970, it was clear that 800 square feet of floor space would not cut it,’ and the landlord was prevailed upon to enlarge the existing structure. As the industry grew and consumer interest in wine increased, the business again outgrew its building. Another enlargement took place in 1980, adding more retail area, a bigger stockroom, and upstairs offices. By now, the ‘Honk & Holler’ was gone, and the increased visibility from Main Street continued to spur the store’s growth.

In 2000, the cash registers were retired in favor of computers, vastly improving the ability of the staff to monitor sales trends and offer timely specials to the public. It rapidly became clear that another expansion was in order. Unfortunately, city underground utilities and codes prevented further enlargement of the existing building, so plans were made to renovate the Grimsley’s Supply building next door.

In the fall of 2001, Brown’s moved to its current location, now boasting nearly 5000 square feet of floor space. In August 2018, Longtime general manager John Franzmann purchased the business from the Browns and began further changes to the store. Changes in state law allowed refrigeration to be added for beer and wine, and the prohibition of non-alcoholic items was lifted. New categories of glassware, barware, snacks, pop, and mixers were added.

Knowledgeable Staff

Part of what separates Brown’s Bottle Shop from the rest of the pack is our breadth of knowledge. Need a great bottle of wine for a gift? We can point you in the right direction. Do you like sweet or dry? Red or white? What are you planning on eating with the wine? All of these questions have answers when you come to Brown’s!

Staff Training

Several times a year, training events are held to educate the staff on the flavors and styles of different types of wine. Food pairing events are held to make sure the staff can help select the perfect accompaniment for any meal. Brown’s trainings have launched careers in the industry for over a dozen former employees in the past years and have become an important resource for beverage and food-pairing knowledge in the community.

Not to be outdone, our beer guru, Chuck Haley, provides a beer education forum for the staff once a year. As a result, our staff is very clever. Come see for yourself!