Baycrest Caps & Corks, the family-run bottleshop and lotto counter at 333 E. 17th St. in Costa Mesa, quietly rang up its last sale at the end of March, closing the book on a 65-year neighborhood streak. Co-owner Bryan Nye said the shop shut down on March 31 after a new property owner declined to renew the lease. For the regulars who treated Baycrest as part barstool, part bulletin board, the darkened storefront leaves a big hole in the Eastside shopping center and erases a rare local stop for craft beer, rare spirits and a little counter-side gossip.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Nye said the family had to be out by April 1 after a commercial real estate firm bought the building last August and put the unit back on the market for lease. Baycrest tried to stay, offering 20% above the asking price, but when the landlord did not respond, the family shifted into fire-sale mode to clear the shelves. Nye told the paper there were "no hard feelings" about the outcome and summed it up as "kind of a bummer" while the family figures out its next move.
More Than A Corner Liquor Store
For decades, Baycrest functioned as a sort of unofficial town square where regulars swapped neighborhood news, weighed in on local drama and hunted for the latest hard-to-find bottle. The California Lottery had also taken notice over the years. As Enjoy Orange County notes, Baycrest was listed among the state's "historical lucky retailers," adding a bit of superstition to the standard beer run. That blend of lotto lore, niche booze selection and familiar faces helped keep steady foot traffic in a retail strip that has otherwise kept changing around it.
How Lucky Was It? The Numbers
The family told the Los Angeles Times that Baycrest was tied to roughly $27.2 million in winning lottery tickets between 1988 and 2007, including a $12.6 million jackpot in 1994. Nye said the shop typically handed out about $12,000 to $15,000 in payouts each week and ranked third in Orange County for lottery sales, a reliable stream of revenue that paired nicely with the store's specialty spirits and craft beer lineup. With the lease now cut off, those sales - and the daily cluster of regulars around the counter - have gone quiet while the landlord looks for a new tenant.
What Comes Next
Nye said he would like to bring the Baycrest concept back in a new location, but for now the original storefront sits empty while the shopping center hunts for its next occupant. The 333 East 17th property website lists the center and a leasing contact, signaling that the owner is actively pitching the space to prospective renters. For longtime customers, the lingering question is whether whatever moves in will try to keep some of Baycrest's quirky charm or end up as just another chain logo on 17th Street.
