Coming soon: beer and wine at gas stations
CRANBERRY TWP — Thanks to state liquor law reforms, consumers will soon have more options for beer and wine purchases in the township.
The GetGo convenience store on Route 228 and the Sheetz store on Freedom Road plan to stock six-packs of beer and bottles of wine in the near future.
Sheetz, which is based in Altoona, Pa., won 15 liquor licenses at a Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board auction earlier this year. The state made 40 expired licenses available for auction as part of Act 39 — the Adult Beverage Convenience and Wine Privatization Act, which was passed and signed by Gov. Tom Wolf in June.
Among the 15 licenses the company won were ones that were previously held in Butler and Buffalo Township, for which it paid $306,000 each.
The company has applied to have one of those licenses transferred to the Freedom Road location, Township Manager Jerry Andree said.
At their meeting Tuesday, night the supervisors can vote to advertise a public hearing for Jan. 27. The supervisors could then make a resolution approving the transfer at their meeting the following week, Andree said.
In a statement made in June, company officials applauded the act and said they support continued liquor law reform.
“Providing convenience to our customers is at the forefront of everything we do and we are committed to this cause until the law is changed for the benefit of our Pennsylvania customers,” said Ryan Sheetz, AVP of brand strategy, in the release.
GetGo, located inside the Cranberry Crossroads development, also secured a restaurant liquor license earlier this year. There was no hearing because the license was transferred from another business inside the township, Giant Eagle spokesman Dick Roberts said.
The store was licensed to sell beer and wine as of Nov. 3, according to the liquor control board website.
It is already selling beer and plans to add wine in the coming weeks, Roberts said.
The other two GetGo locations in Cranberry Township do not have dining areas and are not selling alcohol, but the company is looking at options for offering beer at more stores around the state.
“We look forward evaluating opportunities to sell beer at existing GetGo locations that have designated restaurant areas,” Roberts said.
On Dec. 5, the Butler Township commissioners approved a liquor license transfer for the GetGo location on North Main Street, though alcohol is not yet on the shelves there.
In addition to buying six packs of beer and bottles of wine to go, the law also allows customers to buy up to two beers and drink them on site.
