Wawa’s first bid to sell alcohol since 2003 is one step closer to being approved.
Wawa is now one step closer to gaining approval to sell beer at its Delaware County, Pa. store.
After waiting several months, the Concord Township Board of Supervisors has finally announced its approval of Wawa’s latest request to sell beer.
However, according to The Inquirer, there are still obstacles that Wawa must overcome before customers can head home with beer from the store. Wawa’s request must now be approved by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (LCB). A number of factors will play into this decision; therefore, Wawa is not certain of when the decision will be made.
Another obstacle that Wawa will have to face, even after the approval from the LCB, is that the store will be requires to create a separate restaurant space of at least 400 square feet, which must accommodate 30 people and have a separate entrance and cash register.
Wawa’s request to sell beer has met some opposition from other stores that sell beer, as well as by some Concord, Pa. residents. The protests against the request include businesses that sell beer that are worried they will lose business to Wawa, and residents who are concerned that beer sales may encourage littering, loitering and rowdy behavior.
Wawa’s approval from the Board of Supervisors comes with a number of additional stipulations. If approved, Wawa will be permitted to sell one beer per day to customers to be consumed within the restaurant, but the store cannot have outdoor seating, nor may it have beer on tap. The store must also install security cameras, and must contribute $15,000 to the township which will be used for traffic and pedestrian improvements.
Wawa was once licensed to sell beer in Pennsylvania, but in 2003 a renewal of that license was denied due to alleged sales to minors.