By Ryan Walsh
Jigz Patel always sees the glass as half full.
His business, The Good Pour, may seem like an ordinary wine and spirits marketplace. However, after one visit, it quickly becomes apparent that The Good Pour is so much more.
“When you walk into our shop today, you have the opportunity to purchase at the right price, have the experience of a world-class liquor store and on top of it, when you go to check out, you select your charity,” Patel said.
That is right – at The Good Pour, with every client’s purchase comes a donation to one of over 120 charities. These charitable contributions are no add-ons; The Good Pour takes a portion of its profits and donates to a charity of the customer’s choice. In essence, every transaction gives back. The company was founded by Ray and Giuliana Horal, who have a corporate location in Central Florida and more opening soon.
“I’m excited to be able to bring this to the Gainesville community,” Patel said. “It’s always been my dream to be able to give back.”
Patel’s dream has been a long time coming. Originally from Africa, he and his family immigrated to the UK before finally settling in Gainesville in the mid-2000’s. Patel’s father took a job in the liquor industry before eventually working his way up to owning his first business in 2005. Jigz Liquor, named for Patel, became a successful Greater Gainesville staple for more than seventeen years. Patel worked closely alongside his father as he grew up, learning the ins and outs of the trade.
When the opportunity presented itself for him to branch out on his own, Patel took the leap of faith.
“Ray [Horal] pitched this idea to me and said, ‘If you could take everything in your store and attach a giveback to it, think about the impact you could have in this world,’” Patel said. “That really resonated with me because I was at a crossroads.”
Sold on the pitch, and after some reflecting with his wife and family, Patel bought the business from his father at the end of 2022 with the goal of transforming it into the next Good Pour franchise location.
“The idea of giving back on every single bottle, every single time, made so much sense to me that I took the leap of faith,” Patel said. “I’m the first official franchisee for [The Good Pour].”
Since its opening in January 2024, The Good Pour’s cup has been running over participating in events across Greater Gainesville. Unsurprisingly, most of these events are for nonprofits and other charitable causes. This year, The Good Pour has hosted Peaceful Paths for their kickoff party for the Amazing Give, supported the Bob Dooley Invitations Gold Tournament for Stop Children’s Cancer and assisted with The Tyler’s Hope for a Dystonia Cure Crawfish Boil, to name just a few.
On top of that, they were the wine provider for the 2024 Fierce Awards of Greater Gainesville.
In-store, there is even more on the horizon. A bottle signing with veteran-owned bourbon company Horse Soldier will happen this August, as well as a few more events lined up with Peaceful Paths.
While the construction has finished and the doors are now open, Patel is still working hard to get the word out to the community. Though The Good Pour has already seen great success early on, Patel continuously strives for bigger and better.
“We’re very focused on getting our programming and in-store activations just right,” he said.
Despite all the changes that came with becoming The Good Pour, some much-loved holdovers from the Jigz Liquor days still remain. Chief among them is ‘Jigz Picks,’
And who, or what, exactly is Doris?
“Doris is a trailer-sized bar cart that we serve cocktails out of,” Patel said. “We bring her to events and have her parked outside.”
The beloved drink-vending vehicle got her namesake from a knowledgeable and bubbly Bourbon tour guide on a trip to Kentucky. In addition to many activation events, fan-favorite Doris appeared at this year’s Fierce Awards.
At the heart of The Good Pour is a commitment to sharing good drinks and good times with family and friends, all while being able to give back to the community. Patel’s journey has always been oriented around family, community and charity. He understands with great clarity that this is what he was meant to do.
“My mom would always remind me and say, ‘Jigz, you’re doing exactly what you always said you wanted to do, but in your own country that you have a footprint in now,” Patel said. “Being able to grow up in a town like Gainesville that’s already so charitable and so impactful has made me realize that God put me here for the right reasons.”
Susan Boucher, VP of Business Development for The Good Pour, summed up its mission in her speech at this year’s Fierce Awards. The Good Pour was a Platinum-level sponsor of this year’s event and donated all the wine.
“What makes The Good Pour unique goes beyond our wide selection of wine and spirits and beyond our beautiful store — it’s in our connection to communities, like right here in Gainesville,” she said.
Everyone can raise a glass to that.
- The Good Pour Gift Bar: Patrons can create customized gifts for any occasion.
