CENTRAL PA NEWS
The argument over where you buy brew is heating up. Convenience and grocery stores say they should be allowed to sell it. Distributors say that would be unfair to them.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
BY DIANA FISHLOCK {email address removed}
Dani Yentzer loves it when she's at the beach and she can pick up six-packs of beer where she buys her steaks -- in the grocery store.
Yentzer, 44, of Fairview Twp., added that she is glad that Wegmans in Silver Spring Twp. is selling beer, but, "I don't live anywhere near Wegmans."
Ryan Buxton likes buying cases of beer at his neighborhood distributor who knows what beers he likes. But, "It would be great if distributors could sell a six-pack if you want to try a new kind of beer and you didn't want to buy a case," said Buxton, 33, of Fairview Twp.
For years, many consumers have complained about Pennsylvania's laws governing beer sales. Now the battle over where consumers can buy their beer is heating up.
In Pennsylvania, beer distributors can sell cases of beer but not six-packs. Restaurants -- in grocery stores or in bars -- that have state licenses can sell a customer a six-pack or two but not a case.
Wegmans, Weis Markets and a few other grocery stores at select locations sell beer. But state liquor regulations allow grocery stores to sell beer only if they have dining areas and separate entrances and cash registers.
Beer sales are soaring at the Wegmans store in Silver Spring Twp. -- the only midstate grocery store to sell beer. The store is doubling the space allotted for beer and is expanding its offerings from 400 to 600 brands. "We still have customers asking us for more, so we are satisfying their needs," said manager Bob Finn.
Sheetz, which is trying to break into the competition, has waged a court battle and launched an online petition at www.freemybeer.com.
Some beer distributors worry that grocery stores will siphon off their business. A Lehigh Valley lawmaker has introduced a bill that would allow beer distributors to sell six-packs.
Scott Karns, president of Karns Foods, said he has no plans to apply for licenses to sell beer in his stores until the state revamps its beer laws. He said the licensing system is unfair. 
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