Roopers at 301 Main St. in Auburn was sold Thursday, according to an employee working at the store Monday. The store is open and named Lighthouse Discount Liquor, the employee said. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — Roopers Beverage and Redemption sold one of its two Auburn stores at 301 Main St. last week.

The company announced on social media Friday that the decision had been made to sell the store. Owner Stephanie St. Laurent confirmed it in an email Monday afternoon.

An employee at what is now Lighthouse Discount Beverage said Monday that the sale was finalized Thursday.

The Main Street store was among the smallest Roopers and does not have a redemption center. It is no longer listed on the Roopers company website.

Asked why the sale appeared to have happened so quickly, St. Laurent said, “Selling 301 Main St. was a hard decision for Jesse and I and while it may seem as though it was done quickly, it has been in the works for the better part of a year.”

St. Laurent added that she and her husband, company President Jesse St. Laurent, have a personal connection with the previous owners, Florian and Mary Lou Magno.

“We have a lot of blessings and you never know when it’s time to move on but you have to make difficult decisions in this business and some will question but we felt it was best for us to grow in a different direction.”

The Facebook post said the sale was part of the company’s expansion plans. “We will be expanding into new areas in the near future, bringing the quality and convenience you’ve come to expect from us to even more locations,” according to the post.

Regarding the previously announced plans to open another location in Winthrop, St. Laurent said they are awaiting town approval and are excited to build relationships in another community.

“We are open to another new project, which we will speak on in the near future. Expanding is difficult with regulations, costs, and time, so it’s a fun journey with a lot of growing,” she said.