Tollgate Wine & Spirits

In Good Spirits

Coming Soon to Thompson’s Station: Tollgate Wine & Spirits 

The history of Thompson’s Station can be traced back to the late 1700s, yet the town has never been home to a liquor store. That will soon change, however, when Tollgate Wine & Spirits—at 1990 Tollgate Boulevard in the Tollgate Village subdivision—opens its doors later this year.   

“I saw the opportunity a couple of years ago and signed our lease only to find out that Thompson’s Station wasn’t zoned for a liquor store,” recalls Steve Poe, who also owns Westside Wine & Spirits on Front Street in Westhaven (Franklin). “To change the zoning, you need to have a petition with ten percent of the people that voted in the last election, so I had to get 290 signatures to get on the ballot last November. I did that by reaching out to the homeowner’s associations at a couple of the larger communities in Thompson’s Station and asked them if I could set up a table and collect signatures.”

Long story short, Poe collected the required signatures, and local voters had the opportunity to decide on the measure in November 2022. It passed with upwards of 80 percent approval, according to Poe.

"I would say that the idea was pretty well received,” he adds, noting that he expects to draw customers from Spring Hill, in addition to Thompson Station neighborhoods like Bridgemore, Canterbury, and Tollgate, as well as points north.  

As one might expect, Poe says Tollgate Wine & Spirits will carry all the major brands but also plans to stock products from local breweries, distilleries, and wineries. That includes Company Distilling in Thompson’s Station, which sells both a Tennessee Dry Gin and a Bourbon Whiskey; Leiper’s Fork Distillery, which produces a selection of high-end whiskies; and Stable Reserve Spirits, found on Main St. in Franklin. 

Clearly, the liquor store business is treating Poe well, and he says he is enjoying life as much as ever before, having left behind a career in Information Technology to become a small business owner.

“I was an IT professional in corporate America, having made my way up through the ranks, beginning at the help desk. Then, I worked servers, security, and networking before moving into IT management. But I was on-call 24/7. These days, I don’t have to be glued to my phone, and my commute to work is a five-minute ride in a golf cart. It has been a change for the better in terms of my health and sanity,” he says before noting that he also works as a real estate agent for United Country Real Estate Leipers Fork. 

Now Poe—a Macon, Georgia native who has lived in the Nashville metropolitan area since 2003—thinks things will only get better for Thompson’s Station in the years ahead. 

“I know there are a couple of challenges surrounding the sewer system, but once the infrastructure is in place, it’s going to be an even nicer community,” he says. “Hopefully, they are going to control growth so it doesn't get too dense, but it’s going to be a really great area right off of 840.”

Meanwhile, Poe looks forward to establishing his new store and becoming an integral part of the Thompson’s Station community.  

"Hopefully, I will be able to hire some people from Thompson’s Station, and I will definitely start supporting the local community,” he says, much like he supports charities via The Westhaven Foundation in Franklin, not to mention area schools like Pearre Creek Elementary. “Once I get my team in place and my sales up, I’ll be more than glad to help.”

That said, he encourages people to follow Tollgate Wine & Spirits on Facebook and Instagram for information about the store’s grand opening, which he expects to take place close to Thanksgiving Day.  

“No details yet,” he concludes. “We might do a soft opening, but we’ll definitely advertise what we’ll be doing.”

The new store will be at 1990 Tollgate Blvd., in Thompson’s Station