Lawlor’s Package Store has been proud to serve Germantown and the greater Hudson Valley for over 50 years!
In 1966, Raymond Lawlor opened a liquor and wine store in the heart of Germantown’s small downtown crossroads. A former fruit packing and shipping hub on the Hudson River, Germantown struggled through deindustrialization and the financial turmoil of the 1980s. The town was supported by stalwart, multi-generational families like the Lawlors with deep ties to, and pride in, the local community.
Raymond’s son Jim Lawlor, Sr., was also a local small businessman, owner of Lawlor’s Remember When Shop, which occupied a building at the other end of the block. After Raymond’s passing in 1987, Lawlor’s Package Store went through a series of ownership changes that saw five different entities in charge over a ten year period.
Jim Lawlor Jr. took over management of the store in 1997, and over the 27 years of his tenure turned the shop into a celebrated institution for the community. As Germantown evolved into the new millennium, Jim became something of the de facto mayor, through his heavy involvement in the local volunteer fire department and other public service institutions. If someone in town needs help, Jim is often their very first call.
In 2024, Jim decided to retire from the shop in order to spend more time with his family and community. His hand-picked successor, Stu Davidson Tribbs, first bought liquor at Lawlor’s in 2009 while visiting his future wife Emma’s family for Thanksgiving. In 2014 they were married at the same family home in nearby Clermont. Stu apprenticed under Jim for two years during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, getting to know the ins and outs of Germantown life as a (relative) newcomer.
Stu worked for Hilton Hotels Corporation for 13 years prior to the pandemic, traveling the world at every opportunity in his spare time. He holds a master of public health degree with a focus on soil sciences and agronomy, and has been excited to integrate with the revitalization of local agriculture and brewing, distilling and vinting in the Hudson Valley.
He loves cats, and will talk to you about his cats, and the cats of others. His preferred beverage is an Extra Special Bitter during the day, and Irish whiskey at night.