Bottles N’ Bins owner Vince Poma learned business, passion for customers – and liquor – from his father.

Perhaps Vince Poma’s business philosophy could be summed up in one phrase: “If you don’t have it, you can’t sell it.”

It’s a mantra learned from his father, who opened the family’s first liquor store in 1960. So in addition to the well-known labels, Poma has always stocked bottles that may appeal only to a few customers.

It’s a strategy that allows Bottles N’ Bins to remain a popular spot, despite competition from big discount retailers and grocery store liquor aisles.

“I survived by having all the unique stuff they don’t have,” Poma says.

The shop features beer, wine and a full range of spirits, including one of the area’s largest selection of whiskeys. There is a surprising list of sake, three or four different versions of Lillet, options for those seeking chartreuse and a bottle or two of zubrowka, the bison grass-infused vodka from Poland. If it is not in stock, the staff will happily place an order.

There’s another phrase passed down from Poma’s father that may also explain the shop’s longevity and success: “You drag your feet, you’re going to lose.”

Since he opened on Lighthouse Avenue inMonterey in 1971, Poma has remodeled the interior six times. He has rearranged even more often and is currently considering expanding the cold beer section.

With just five employees, Bottle N’ Bins operates a delivery service, provides for weddings and other events and supports local businesses – stocking Alvarado Street Brewery’s product and purchasing staff shirts from Play Full Ground, an artist collective down the street.

Poma explains that customer service is the core of his business. He engages people, calls regulars by their first name, chats with the salespeople and pays bills on time – all with a smile on his face.

He finds like-minded employees and encourages them to stick around. One staffer, Alison Breedlove, has been at the shop for 19 years.

“I love the people,” Poma says. “We have great customers. And if I don’t do it right, my father will kill me up there.”

This last part he says with a broad grin. Vito “Bill” Poma opened Bottles N’ Bins near the Naval Postgraduate School as a family business. Young Vince Poma began working at the shop at the age of 7, mopping floors.

When he graduated from Monterey High School in 1971, his father offered two options: Head off to college or work in the liquor store.

“I do it out of a passion,” Poma says. “I’m old-fashioned Italian. This is all I know.”