Bay Area's 'luckiest' Lotto store to close

SAN LORENZO, Calif. (KTVU) - You don' need to spend much time at Kavangh's Liquors to see why many call it the luckiest store in the Bay Area.

We were there for just a few minutes before one man holding a lottery ticket announced: "I won a thousand dollars."

Not bad.
       
But that's peanuts compared to the five people who won more than a million dollars each from lottery tickets they got here. That's the most big winners of any store in Northern California.
    
The last winner here was in 2012— the jackpot was $11 million. The store's cut is one-half of one percent.

"Everyone comes from all over waiting to win that lucky ticket, that lucky scratcher," said store employee Johnna McDaniel.
 
When jackpot fever would get overheated, the lines would stretch around the corner with people looking to buy lottery tickets.
But McDaniel gets teary-eyed when talking about the one loss at Kavanagh's, the loss of the store's lease.

The property was bought by a new owner who wants the space for some other undisclosed purpose.

After 52 years in San Lorenzo, Kavangh's is closing at the end of next month.

"We don't want to close our doors. Basically we are being forced out," said McDaniel.
 
The customers will have to search for jackpots elsewhere.

"I'm just really sorry they are going. Not just for the lottery. It's a great store, great owners, great everything," said Sandra Walsh.

She says she has been coming here for 50 years, but…

"I have never won. Not a lucky store for me. Never, ever won," Walsh said.

Kavanagh's says it will continue selling lottery tickets until mid-November, before closing down.

Customers are hoping that's enough time to become Kavanagh's last millionaire