Then sake brewers called sakashi, who were predecessors of toji (sake brewing experts), came to manufacture and sell sake privately by themselves, and the place where such sake was sold came to be called sakaya.
やがて杜氏の職業的先駆にあたる酒師（さかし）が民間で自分で酒を造り、売るところを酒屋というようになっていった。