Nether Prov OKs beer, wine sales at Acme
NETHER PROVIDENCE >> Shoppers interested in picking up some adult beverages to go along with their groceries may soon have another option.
The township Board of Commissioners recently approved a proposal by Acme to sell beer and wine at its decades-old store on Baltimore Pike. The vote in favor of the plan was unanimous.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board must still approve the change. That review process takes at least seven months and sometimes as long as a year, and will include the posting of a bright orange notice at the store for 30 days, making the public aware that anyone who has concerns could request a hearing regarding the plan.
The applicable state law requires that under the restaurant liquor license the store will use – it was acquired from another restaurant in Delaware County no longer in operation – it must have freshly prepared food available, as well as seating for at least 30 people.
To accomplish this, the existing kitchen facility will be used and seating will be created at the front of the store. Meanwhile, an aisle will be devoted to the alcoholic beverages.
As it does at its other stores that feature such sales, Acme will dub the seating area – its “restaurant” under the license – the Frosted Mug. Since the company reports that less than 5 percent of the beer and wine it sells is consumed on-site, the seating area is not expected to attract a great deal of use.
Acme representatives said they need the ability to sell the alcoholic items in order to remain competitive, as such sales are now taking place at other area supermarkets, as well as at other locations.
Before the chain could proceed, it needed to address an agreement reached between the then-owner of the shopping center and a group of 30 neighbors in 1959 that prohibits the sale of alcohol. Those neighbors and the township had to support the change to clear the way.
Acme managers told the board earlier this year that the company now sells alcoholic beverages at 23 of its 53 Pennsylvania stores, with 10 more in the pipeline. Acme already sells beer and wine at its Granite Run store.
Tom Gallagher, an attorney and former township commissioner, agreed to represent the neighbors on a pro bono basis. The Mulberry Lane resident said the feedback he has received indicates that younger homeowners want the convenience of being able to purchase beer and wine at the supermarket.
There was also a concern that if Acme failed to win the approval, it might abandon the store.
“If Acme rolls, we get a dollar store,” Gallagher told the board in late October, adding that the relatively small size of that property – about 40,000 square feet – compared to other local supermarkets made that possibility more likely.
Commissioner Mike Dougherty, in explaining his vote, said, “The last thing I want to see is an empty building there or a building that doesn’t represent the quality of life that Nether Providence has. And being as small as it is, I’m surprised Acme is still there.”
As to any concerns regarding patrons overindulging, Dougherty doesn’t think that is probable.
“I don’t envision drunkards walking out of there after partying all night at Acme,” he said, adding that the township’s police force and security provisions at the store would help deter such activity.
Earlier this year, neighbors of the store told the board that before they would agree to deed modifications, they wanted certain reassurances. Gallagher said at the time that the store’s inventory was “abominable.”
Acme officials said they were working to make changes at the store, including new management.
Acme managers also said the beer/wine operation will have its own manager and staffers who have undergone the PLCB’s Responsible Alcohol Management Program, or RAMP. That training includes looking for signs of intoxication or suspicious behavior.
All of those employees will be at least 21 and will be required to card all customers and scan the form of ID presented. Acceptable IDs include a driver’s license, a military ID or a passport.
Operating hours for the Frosted Mug would be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays. The superamarket is open to 11 p.m.