New Business in Monticello!

Heather Ainsley
ECB Publishing, Inc.

On the first of May, two new businesses brought new life to North Jefferson Street. Mitesh and Sunny Patel, owners of the family-run Pit Stop and Pit Stop 30, which have been staples in the community for the last 14 years, have begun another set of business ventures. Early this May, they celebrated the opening of Monticello Liquors, and Monticello Laundromat with a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the Chamber of Commerce.
Monticello Liquors is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Monticello Laundromat is open Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and is open 24 hours the rest of the week.
The Patel family is originally from Thomasville, Ga, and moved to the area in 2009. They fell in love with the small-town charm of Monticello, and when a friend asked them to take over a local Pit Stop, they were happy to become permanent members of the community. It wasn't long before they opened up a second store, named Pit Stop 30, but something seemed to be missing from the picture-perfect scene of North Jefferson Street.
The north end of Monticello was becoming known for its derelict buildings and abandoned shops. As such an established part of the community, the Patels heard a lot of the complaints and musings of locals as they came to the shop day after day.
“We would hear often that there isn't much on this side of the Courthouse. There are a lot of shops and laundromat options on the other side of town, but this side had a real lacking in those areas.” Mitesh stated. “It's more difficult for people who live over on this side of town to haul their laundry over across town, wash it and haul it back. We also heard a lot about machines being broken or swallowing coins, and then people would then have to go back home, get more coins and then go back. We really wanted to fill that need, and provide for our customers. Our laundromat will always be fully stocked and in good working order. That's very important to us.”
For many years, the building that now houses Monticello Liquors was an eyesore, having been abandoned by the previous business. “It was in really bad shape, but we did extensive repairs, and we are proud of the work we've done in both buildings, and look forward to serving our customers. Customer Service is our number one priority. Whatever they need, we are happy to help.”