After being closed for seven months, the Tryon ABC store is scheduled to reopen May 1.

Tryon Town Council met April 16 and announced the reopening date. ABC board chair Richard Rardin said the board has hired a manager and the store will reopen on May 1.

The board was recently approved for a $30,000 loan in order to reopen the store after selling most of its inventory to pay bills while the store was closed.

The store has been closed since September 2012 and the possibility of reopening seemed bleak until earlier this year.

The store was closed after the state and the town conducted an inventory and audit. The inventory concluded that there was approximately $3,000 worth of liquor missing from the store. The state initially recommended that the store either merge with Columbus, which wasn’t interested or close due to lack of revenue. The store has not generated revenue for the town in several years.

The ABC board began working on plans to reopen while selling stock in order to pay bills. ABC board member Dennis Durham created a plan and presented figures to council during its February meeting.

In the meantime, the store’s landlord has lowered the rent from $1,200 per month to $1,000 per month and the board plans to make changes in operation in order to at least break even in the future. Plans are to reduce the hours of operation and for the store to only sell spirits, not wine and mixers. Durham told council earlier this year that the store will only sell items people can’t get anywhere else except in South Carolina so the store doesn’t compete with local businesses who sell other items such as wine.

Tryon’s ABC store is located at 354 S. Trade Street in the shopping center between Dollar General and IGA.