Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Giant gets OK to sell beer, wine
The Giant supermarket in the New Garden Shopping Center will be selling beer and wine by September.
The Giant supermarket in the New Garden Shopping Center will be selling beer and wine by September.
New Garden supervisors recently approved a request by Giant Food Stores to obtain a liquor license for the purpose of selling beer and wine. The 63,000-squarefoot store is located at 350 Scarlet Road in the New Garden Shopping Center.
It would be the first grocery store in the region to utilize a liquor license. The state Liquor Control Board has approved licenses at hundreds of grocery stores in Pennsylvania, including 59 Giant Food Stores.
Alcohol sales will be permitted Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Only two six packs of beer can be purchased at a time, and wine sales will be limited to just four bottles per visit. Hard liquor will not be sold at the Giant.
Giant may sell six- and 12-packs of beer, along with individual bottles such as 40-ounce or 24-ounce beers. Their licenses permit them to sell up to 192 fluid ounces of beer per purchase. They may also sell up to four bottles of wine per purchase.
After several debates, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruled that the store must sell beer to in-house customers as well as takeout.
The section for booze will be located at the rear of the store. The area will be separated from the main section of the supermarket. The license grants Giant permission to provide tables and seating for up to 30 customers who want to buy beer to consume at the store. Food, including sandwiches, entrees and even a salad bar will be available in the section.
Store personnel will be trained to detect bogus identification and to detect whether patrons are intoxicated.
Security cameras will help to monitor the area. There will be no entertainment at the liquor section at Giant, no draft beer and no happy hour.
Construction begins in July and will be ready by September.