A new convenience store opened its doors for business this week on the first floor of the Tower Plaza Condominium building, located at 340 Maynard St.

The shelves of the Tower Mini Market, which will not be completely stocked until next week, are lined with specialty items like international foods and gifts.

The market will have a beer and wine license before August, owner Nabel Gneym said. He said the store will sell microbrews and imported wine.

Gneym, who rents the property from Tower Plaza, has another store in Grand Rapids but said he wanted to expand to “the best city in Michigan to do business.”

“I had a chance to open in Westland, Michigan, but Ann Arbor is better than any other city,” Gneym said. “A lot of people are closing here, but a lot of people are opening too.”

Gneym chose the Maynard Street location, near Frank’s Restaurant and the Campus Student Bike Shop, because of the high foot traffic and residents in Tower Plaza, he said. Gneym said that although the Ann Arbor rent is high, he expects increased rent prices from a college town. He said his main concern for the location is the limited parking.

With a 7-Eleven and CVS Pharmacy around the corner on State Street, Gneym said he plans to set himself apart by selling unique items and catering to the community.

“There is no personality at CVS. It’s just like a Burger King,” Gneym said. “We like to know the people and be a part of the community. We’re going to try to be service oriented by getting to know people and taking their requests.”

Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. You can follow her on Twitter or reach her at href="lizzyalfs@annarbor.com">lizzyalfs@annarbor.com or 734-623-2584.