Local distributors unsure of law’s impact
Beer distributors soon will be open seven days a week after Gov. Ed Rendell signed legislation Wednesday that would legally allow Pennsylvanians to buy a case of beer on Sunday. The bill, approved by the Senate earlier this week, would change the current law, which limits purchases to only two six-packs of beer from a restaurant or tavern on Sunday.
A representative from Rendell’s office said the bill would allow beer distributors the option of paying an additional $100 for an annual Sunday license that will allow cases to be sold from noon to 5 p.m.
Locally, the legislation has created a stir among some restaurant and tavern owners who depend on their Sunday sales of six packs.
Mike and Arline Gould, owners of Pappy’s Inc., said the legislation will hurt small businesses like theirs.
Pappy’s is a restaurant and six-pack carryout shop in Hopwood that is open seven days a week.
Mike Gould said Pappy’s sells a lot of beer on Sundays; however, he said he thinks sales will decline if distributors are open and selling beer by the cases.
“A lot of places depend on their six-pack Sunday sales,” he said.
Arline Gould said the proposed legislation is not fair to restaurants and taverns.
“We pay extra to have a Sunday sales permit to sell six-packs, and we aren’t allowed to sell more than two packs at a time, but distributors will be able to sell a case? We won’t be able to compete,” she said.
Restaurants and taverns like Pappy’s pay $250 to sell six-packs of beer on Sundays, in addition to the $300 they pay to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board so they can sell it during the week, Arline Gould said.
However, Sen. Sean Logan (D-Allegheny) told The Associated Press the legislation brought fairness to laws on alcoholic beverage sales, since thousands of restaurants and taverns and dozens of state liquor stores can sell on Sunday.
“It’s incredible to think that the state mandates a beer distributor to be closed on Sunday,” said Logan, who sponsored the bill.
Similar legislation to the bill that is awaiting Rendell’s signature failed last year due to strong opposition from restaurant and tavern owners, who said it would cut into their business.
In hopes of satisfying them, the current bill expanded the wholesale discount that restaurant and tavern owners get on purchases from state liquor stores from 7 percent to 10 percent.
The bill would also eliminate the requirement, except for in Philadelphia, that a tavern or restaurant selling liquor on Sunday must make 30 percent of its money from food.
Ron Wright, owner of Campy’s Pizza and Six-Pack Shop in California, said he does not think the bill will place a financial strain on his business, or any other business like his.
“I don’t think it will affect us a whole lot,” he said. “I’m sure it will a little, but I don’t think it’s going to be as bad as everyone expects.”
Wright said with the price of beer going up, many people would rather spend $10 to $12 on a six-pack than $20 or more on a case of beer.
However, Wright said he did not necessarily think distributors should be open on Sundays because it devalues his license, which says he must sell food in order to sell beer.
Ralph Todd said he would rather remain closed on Sundays, but said he will open his distributorship if he is given that option.
Todd, the owner of Todd’s Beer Distributor in California, said he doesn’t think the proposed legislation will hurt six-pack shops, but definitely “won’t help them” either.
“I’m going to have to open to stay competitive, but I don’t think it’s going to make a major difference. It’ll even out,” he said, adding that he expects being open on Sundays will lower the amount of beer he sales on Saturdays and Mondays.
Todd, who pays $600 a year for his liquor license, said he doesn’t think his business being open will harm other six-pack shops in town and that some people go to six-pack shops to buy beer during the week even when his business is open.
“Your people who buy cases are going to keep buying cases, and your six-pack buyers will continue to buy six-packs,” he said.
Dan and Sandy Vecchiolla, owners of Vecchiolla Distributors in Uniontown, said they will be open every Sunday if Rendell signs the bill. However, like Todd, they also said they would rather remain closed.
“Sunday is our only day off, but we’ll have to be open in order to remain competitive with the other distributors,” Sandy Vecchiolla said.
Law enforcement officials said they don’t think the Sunday sale of beer by the case will increase the number of DUI-related accidents and fatalities.
“I don’t believe it will make a whole lot of difference. Beer has always been sold on Sunday. Now people will just be able to buy it by the case,” said trooper Brian Burden, community liaison and public information officer for the Uniontown and Belle Vernon barracks. “I don’t think we’ll see an increase in drunk-driving-related accidents as a result of that legislation being passed.”
Likewise, Uniontown Police Chief Kyle W. Sneddon said he doesn’t think Sunday sales will increase the number of DUI-related incidents his department investigates.
“I don’t think it will have a significant effect,” he said.
Nonetheless, the bill faced opposition from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), which claims an increase in beer sales will cause more accidents and deaths.
“Our main concern is not the sale of alcohol, but what’s done with the alcohol after it’s sold,” said Rebecca Shaver, state executive director.
Shaver cited a correlation between alcohol sales and alcohol-related accidents. Alcohol sales rose by 7 percent in 2004 and DUI-related crashes increased by 13 percent, she said.