WILL DELCO VOTERS BE DRIVEN TO DRINK?
3 TOWNS VOTING ON PUSH TO END DRY TRADITION, ALLOW BOOZE SALES
Three Delaware County towns could be raising a glass to toast the end of their traditional ‘dry’ status in Tuesday’s primary election as voters weigh whether they want their burgs to grant liquor licenses for the sale of booze.
Referendums will appear in voting booths in the boroughs of Aldan and Lansdowne, as well as Marple Township that would allow retail sales of liquor and beer within their towns. These dry towns may turn wet if voters decide to change ordinances prohibiting such sales that date back seven decades. Beer distributors and state stores are still allowed in these municipalities, according to a dry municipalities spreadsheet published by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (Marple Township has three state-licensed beer distributors), but if you can’t buy a glass of wine or have a beer with your dinner at a restaurant.
You are, from a consumer standpoint, dry.
A restaurant license is at the heart of these referendum, which may be used in a formal restaurant establishment, or in a supermarket that has a beer garden and eating area. The license is good to sell liquor, wine, beer and malt beverages.
If voters were to approve the referendums, that would leave just nine dry towns amid Delaware County’s 49 municipalities with some level of alcohol restriction. They include Brookhaven, Colwyn, Parkside, Rutledge, Sharon Hill, Swarthmore, Upland, Yeadon and Bethel. Only Sharon Hill is completely dry.
There are differing reasons motivating the push in different towns: Lansdowne hopes to draw restaurants to its downtown, while in Aldan and Marple, there is a “giant” reason.
Giant Food Stores operates supermarkets in Aldan and Marple, neither of which is currently able to sell beer and wine because of the dry status of those municipalities. It is no coincidence that the company coordinated a petition drive earlier this year in these towns to get the required number of resident signatures on a petition to get the referendum on the ballot.
“I can confirm that we are encouraging our customers to vote ‘yes’ on both ballot questions so that, in the future, we can provide additional convenience and a better shopping experience,” said Giant Spokesman Christopher Brand in a May 15 email.
Currently, 97 Giant stores in Pennsylvania have Beer & Wine Eateries, including five in Delaware County where the LCB reports active restaurant (liquor) licenses, including stores in Aston, Brookhaven, Havertown, Wayne and Springfield (Sproul Road). Giant has a license in safekeeping issued for its Baltimore Pike store in Springfield, which is looking to be transferred to the Aldan location if the referendum passes.
According to Louis P. Roth, government relations coordinator for Delta Development, a consultant for Giant, grocery stores are among the safest retailers of restaurant license holders that he has worked with.
“There have been several million transactions (at Giant) involving beer and wine and there have been no citations,” he told Aldan residents during a liquor referendum information session on May 16.
In a survey of likely voters, 70 percent of Aldan residents said the sale of wine and beer is a convenience and 80 percent said sales at a grocery store will reduce local trips.
Giant Special Projects Manager Colin Heap said the retail industry is about listening to what consumers want. Giant, he said, has been building on to what costumers want since stores opened with the addition of pharmacies, gas stations and a natural organics section.
“People find that it is a more welcoming environment for them to do their shopping for beer and wine as well,” said Heap about incorporating these beverages into the weekly grocery store trip. “We’re trying to bring more and more to the store that makes it more of a convenient shop for you as the consumer.”
Ninety-eight percent of all beer and wine purchases at Giant stores are takeout. The remaining 2% are persons who may sit down to have a drink with a meal they purchased in the eatery.
Adding beer and wine sales has been beneficial for the supermarket chain.
“We are extremely gratified by the response from our customers to our Beer & Wine Eateries,” said Brand. Sales figures he could not disclose.
The boost in sales is exactly what Lansdowne wants for the small businesses in their town.
Without the ability to sell alcohol in their business, restaurateurs especially have trouble staying open for a substantial amount of time in its core business district around Baltimore and Lansdowne avenues.
“We definitely feel that having the ability to sell liquor makes a restaurant more profitable,” said Debbie Brodeur, executive director of the Lansdowne Economic Development Corporation. “We know the businesses that have closed have said to us they wish we could offer (alcohol).”
Food markups in restaurants are generally around 30 percent, said Brodeur, a small fraction compared to the 200 or 300 percent markup on alcohol.
“These are more options for profit,” noted Brodeur.
Additionally, websites featuring direct customer feedback like Yelp, TripAdvisor or Google generally have better reviews when liquor is sold at restaurants.
Liquor sales are part of the LEDC’s five-year plan for the downtown district. That same time frame may see the opening of the Lansdowne Theater as a music venue, which officials believe will in turn create demand for “businesses that will complement the theater.” “Again, restaurants that serve alcohol will offer the perfect opportunity to visit Lansdowne, have dinner then catch a concert,” said Brodeur. “We hope to see a domino effect from having a successful restaurant here. That will lead to more retail stores opening and that could lead to the development of more marketrent apartments in Lansdowne, which means more people and more potential customers.”
Historic Lansdowne Theater Corp. Executive Director Matt Schultz threw his support behind the referendum.
“It’s clear that without liquor licenses it is very difficult for restaurants to succeed. We know from numerous examples across the country that communities can be revitalized by creating experiences with restaurants and theaters,” said Schultz. “We look forward to a time when residents from throughout the region flock to Lansdowne’s central business district to have dinner and see their favorite musician in a beautifully restored Lansdowne Theater.”
If voters move their respective municipalities into the “wet” lands, one license related to retail sales of liquor and other beverages is allowed per 3,000 residents, equal to one in Aldan, three in Lansdowne and seven in Marple. Licenses may be issued through the LCB without borough council approval up to the quoted limit per town. Any license looking to transfer into the municipality over the quote must be approved by borough council. They may deny that transfer license if it adversely affects the welfare, health, peace and morals of that community or its residents.
Voters were left with the option to choose the wet or dry status of their municipalities after federal prohibition ended. A referendum vote may only happen in a municipality once every four years.