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In rural Pa., the temporary closing of a state liquor store won’t cause a panic

Kane is about 300 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Residents aren’t resorting to firing up moonshine stills, the mayor said.

The PLCB Fine Wine & Good Spirits in rural Kane, McKean County will close for about a week for renovations. It's the only liquor store in the small town of 3,500.
The PLCB Fine Wine & Good Spirits in rural Kane, McKean County will close for about a week for renovations. It's the only liquor store in the small town of 3,500.Read moreBrandy Schimp

On a map, Kane, Pa., is nearly surrounded by half a million acres of woods, hence the town’s nickname: “a star in the forest.”

Located in McKean County, about 300 miles northwest of Philadelphia and 150 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, Kane is truly out there, a town of about 3,500 near the Allegheny National Forest. This week, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board announced the temporary closing of Kane’s only Fine Wine & Good Spirits, for renovations. The closest liquor store is 23 miles to the south.

“Our Kane store — in the heart of the Pennsylvania Wilds — is one of the most remote in our network,” PLCB executive director Michael Demko said in a news release. “We expect our customers will greatly appreciate renovations including new flooring, shelving, checkout counter and wall paint, but we will have to close the store for a period of time to accommodate the improvements.

» READ MORE: Two towns in rural Pa. are giving remote workers free housing for a month, in the hopes they’ll stay longer

Panic is not settling in, however, and residents aren’t resorting to firing up moonshine stills, Kane Mayor Brandy Schimp said.

“They can do that for fun, maybe, but not out of necessity,” Schimp told The Inquirer on Wednesday. “Nobody will really be put out by this.”

Schimp owns the building on Fraley Street that houses Kane’s only Fine Wine & Good Spirits and said the renovations are long overdue. The store will close at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Schimp expects the renovations to be done by May 1.

Kane, Schimp said, is no one-horse town and its location has made it a destination for outdoor enthusiasts and remote workers. It won’t be a dry town for the last week of April, either.

“Liquor will still be available for commercial sale and for the general public, Kane has a wonderful brewery and distillery and two wineries,” Schimp said.

Last year, Kane and Bellefonte, a small town in Centre County, were chosen for a PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship pilot program called “The Wilds Are Working: A Remote Lifestyle Experience.” That program aimed to lure remote workers to rural corners of the state, offering them free temporary housing and digital gift cards to live there for a month.

Kane’s website even has a tab for “relocation info” to help people move there.

“I know it’s a cliché, but I love the people here the most,” Schimp said, “and I think our many outdoor opportunities are another selling point.”

The PLCB is offering a 10% discount at the Kane store through Saturday.