Taiseer "Taz" Zarka and his wife Gigi's downtown Raleigh empire is about to get bigger.

On Friday, the couple will hold a grand opening and ribbon cutting for their fifth downtown business, a wine, tobacco and gift shop at 17 E. Martin Street across from the RBC tower.

Mayor Charles Meeker is to personally inaugurate the business at 1 p.m. (Unclear what this involves, but we can only hope Meeker does it the sailor way and christens the store by shattering a bottle of wine against the side of the building. Or maybe just pour some malt liquor on the pavement outside.)

The new store will include more than 1,000 brands of wine and beer plus a variety of tobacco, fine cigars, greeting cards, etc.

Taz's other ventures include a check-cashing business at Wilmington and Davie streets and a convenience store at Wilmington and Hargett where he also sells beer and wine.