Jonathan H.
Yelp
If these guys were a publicly traded company, I'd short them. This is literally the worst-managed business on South Beach.
There are 3 specific reasons why I have this view:
1. Truly awful customer service. Imagine the worst smell that's ever hit your nostrils... a festering, rancid, vomit inducing smell. Take that and apply it to the category of customer service and you'll just be scratching the surface on how badly they treat their customers. My story: I went in last week and purchased a bottle of Conundrum White for a girlfriend's birthday party. Get to the party; she's excited; wants to open it up; unscrew the top; get two glasses; do a toast; take a sip. Puke. Literally, we both threw up in our mouths. The wine was spoiled. It tasted like it was filtered through a used baby's diaper and put back in the bottle. That bad. Instead of releasing the smell on the rest of the guests, I immediately threw it out. The next day I go into Gulf Liquors and explain my situation. The Manager (Wilson) who sold me the wine wasn't there. I was told there was nothing they could do and to come back the next day. Sigh. So the next day I returned. He remembered me and I told him my problem. I explained that there were two ways he could handle this: (1) fix it by giving me another bottle or alternatively refunding my money or (2) lose a customer for life. His response was a condescending, "there's nothing we can do." Really, jerk? Really? Ok, well since Wilson can't do math, I'll do it for him: they make $2 - $25 on a bottle of wine / liquor (the type that I buy). So instead of making it right and selling me a few more bottles down the line (which would have made them "even" from an economic sense and would have righted this serious wrong from a customer sense), they chose to lose a customer for life. Wilson, sir: you clearly can't do math and you most emphatically don't give two sheets about your customers. A big condescending "way to go" right back at you - I see your career as being cut short from a series of stupid decisions like the one you made on me.
2. Gulf's selection - while nice (others have written this) - is marked up significantly higher than others in the area. Expensive real estate = expensive products to cover the overhead. Why pay up when there are 6 other options off Alton / Lincoln and literally within 2 blocks that have nearly the same choices?
3. Parking is a nightmare with only 1 spot for their business. Seriously, 1 spot? It's almost not believable. If you choose, you can fight with Lincoln Roadies for one of the public spots - just be prepared to roam around for 20 minutes, get frustrated, then park illegally and almost assuredly get a ticket from the always-on-patrol parking police.
In summary, Gulf Liquors doesn't care about you. Service is the worst in the area - probably the worst in the country. This is not an overstatement. Prices equate to legalized robbery. And there are no parking spots available for customers. Why on earth would you want to give these guys your support? I don't. And I never will.
Note: I specifically signed up as a reviewer on Yelp to warn others. No, I don't work for a competitor - I work in finance and I care about local businesses that care about my business. Take heed!