Diamond Bar Lotto Hot Spot

Didn’t win the $600 million Powerball jackpot? Here is where you should try your luck.

There is a buzzing place in the quiet city of Diamond Bar that is attracting many people from out of town. It is becoming increasingly popular from word of mouth and the media. Locals call it the lucky spot to win big. Moe’s Liquor’s business boomed when a customer won the $12 million lottery jackpot in 2009.

In fact the liquor store has had three lottery winners. The first winner won over $100,000 in 2007; the most recent winner won over $200,000 just three years later.

Kevin and Maria Kim have owned Moe’s Liquor for 16 years, and neither of them expected to have as much success with the lottery as they have had. Many to this specific location because they believe they could be the next winner.

“People I have never seen before, they come in here and say, I heard you guys win something and we did,” Kevin said.  

Kevin and Maria are Moe’s Liquor’s only two employees. Originally Kevin decided to open the liquor store with his cousin because he grew tired of working for someone else. When his cousin left, Maria filled in. They work hard to balance personal and business matters.

“We’ve had our ups and downs. We get along sometimes, we sometimes argue, but most of the time we’re good. We’ve been married for 24 years, so I guess we’re doing something right,” Kevin said.

Kevin and Maria’s goal has been to support their two 22-year-old daughters through college. Prior to owning Moe’s Liquor, Kevin and Maria were both managers in the restaurant industry, but their job was more time consuming than they would have liked. Changing careers gave them the flexibility and financial stability they needed for their family.

“When I was working at Denny’s, I was working 12 to 15 hours a day. Around here [Moe’s Liquor] I can easily do things with the kids: go to their plays, sports, anything that was going on at school,” Maria said.

Make no mistake that running a liquor store operation is easier than other jobs. There have been several instances where the store’s silent alarm falsely alerted the police. Consequently, police surrounded the store and mistakenly identified Kevin as a burglar.

“That happened a few times. They already knew who he was, but that’s the routine. They have to do that,” Maria said.

But Kevin is still appreciative of the silent alarm and the police’s timely response in the case of a real emergency.

“It was good in a way because they answered right away whether it was a false alarm or not,” Kevin said.

The downturn in the economy is another challenge. Liquor sales have slightly been down, but the couple has found a way to accommodate their customers’ needs.

“A lot of people don’t have a job, or a lot of people are stressed out and they want to drink. But they can’t afford to drink the good stuff so we had to buy the cheaper brands,” Maria said.

Lotto ticket sales have not changed, however. Lotto is still the No.1 seller at this liquor store. Since Powerball lottery made its debut in California, lottery sales have tripled. Bill Boyer, a loyal customer, says he buys lotto tickets at Moe’s Liquor because of the store’s lucky streak.

“I told them they have to put my picture and my name up there eventually. It’s just a matter of time,” Boyer said.

Kevin and Maria are planning to end their long run in the liquor business upon their daughters’ college graduations. But before then the couple is hoping their luck will continue and strike another multi-million dollar jackpot one more time.

Contact:

Moe’s Liquor

Address: 21180 Golden Springs Dr, Diamond Bar, CA 91765

Phone: (909) 598-5985