Alcohol Permits Increase in County

Total Hits 65 After Latest State Meeting

— The Arkansas Beverage and Control Division has issued 65 retail beer permits to Benton County businesses since the county was voted wet by voters in November.

At A Glance

Issued Permits

Alcohol permits issued Jan. 28-Feb. 20:

Retail Beer

Bentonville

-Harps, 1209 N. Walton Blvd.

Bella Vista

-Harps, 404 Towncenter Northeast

Rogers

-Price Cutter Food Warehouse, 103 N. Dixieland Road

-Harps, 715 N. Second St.

-Stop & Go Convenience Store, 1307 W. Hudson Road

-Stop N Shop, 1203 Monte Ne Road

-Encarnacion Market, 1900 S. First St.

-White Hawk Center, 1710 W. Hudson Road

-Supermercado La Villita, 300 S. Eighth St.

-Walgreen’s, 1722 W. Walnut St.

-Casey’s General Store, 2401 W. Olive St.

Centerton

-Harps, 710 W. Centerton Blvd.

Maysville

-Maysville Handi-Stop, 11827 N. Arkansas 23

Springdale

-Fast Trax, 4451 N. Thompson St.

Siloam Springs

-Arkanbuzz, 19871A U.S. 412

Source: Arkansas Beverage And Control Division

The latest round of permits were issued at a board meeting Wednesday in Little Rock and included 10 retail beer and wine permits, two restaurant beer and wine permits and one private club permit. Harps and Price Cutter stores received permits for retail beer and wine sales at its stores effective Jan. 28.

Permits considered at Wednesday’s board meeting generated no objections from the public or from governing officials. Two applications in the first round of Benton County permits, considered in mid-January, drew objections for outlets in Cave Springs and Gravette. Both applications were approved.

Four of the permits considered Wednesday were approved on a conditional basis contingent upon the business owner bringing those sites up to agency standards. Asian N Sushi, a new restaurant opening in Rogers, will be reinspected after its remodeling project is complete, according to division documents.

Restaurant owner Yong Lin said he is remodeling a building at 2603 Pleasant Grove Road and expects to be open in early March. He said the permit process has gone smoothly so far. He has previously worked with restaurants with alcohol permits in Washington County.

“I think it’s easier now that the county is wet,” he said.

The board granted a restaurant beer and wine permit to the business. Restaurant beer and wine permits were not possible to obtain before the county was voted wet. All restaurants had to operate a nonprofit as a private club and sell alcohol through the club.

Arkanbuzz at 1981A U.S. 412 in Siloam Springs received an off-premises beer permit conditional upon completion of a remodel project. The store must also install a telephone and be reinspected by division enforcement agents, according to meeting documents.

Stop N Shop at 1203 Monte Ne Road in Rogers and White Hawk Center at 1710 W. Hudson Road in Rogers had issues with gaming machines. Division rules don’t allow permitted outlets to “keep any gambling device, machine or apparatus upon the permitted premises,” according to Section 3.19.

The law doesn’t apply to activity authorized by the Arkansas Lottery Commission or for certain nonprofit events.

White Hawk Center was granted an off-premises beer permit contingent upon removal of the gaming machines. Stop N Shop must remove its gaming machines, as well as “drug type paraphernalia” listed by the enforcement agents.

Supermercado La Villita at 300 S. Eighth St. in Rogers received an on-premises beer permit, but must post a sign indicating “No alcohol beyond this point” at doors leading into an adjacent grocery store, according to board documents.

Harps grocery stores in Benton County and Price Cutter Food Warehouse were granted five off-premises retail beer permits on Jan. 28. The permits did not go before the board for discussion.

While there is no limit to the number of retail and restaurant beer and wine permits, only 55 liquor store permits will be issued in Benton County. The state alcohol division is accepting applications from potential liquor store owners, said Michael Langley, director of administration for the division.

A lottery draw is set for this spring to determine the order permit applications will be heard, with the first hearings likely taking place for the summer, he said.

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