Alcohol Sales Start This Week

At A Glance

Being Considered

Beer and wine permits will be considered for the following stores at Wednesday’s Alcohol Beverage Control meeting:

E-Z Mart: 15 stores

Kum & Go: Eight stores

Casey’s General Store: Five stores

Murphy Express: Bentonville

Walmart and Neighborhood Market: Nine stores

Supermercado la Villita: Rogers

Stop N Shop: Rogers

Sam’s Club: Bentonville

Centerpoint C Store: Centerton

Fastrip: Two stores in Bentonville

Airport Plaza C Store: Bentonville

Avoca One Stop: Avoca

Grand Central Station: Bella Vista

Tiger Stop: Bentonville

Superstop: Bentonville

Source: Alcoholic Beverage Control Division

— Benton County residents will be able to purchase retail alcohol this week for the first time since World War II. The board of the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Division is set to consider beer and wine sales at 49 grocery and convenience stores Wednesday, just more than two months after residents voted the county wet Nov. 6.

Businesses that submitted applications to the division by Dec. 16 will be included on Wednesday’s agenda. Those businesses include E-Z Mart stores, Kum & Go, Casey’s General Store and Walmart, according to division weekly reports.

The new permits apply to beer and wine sales only and not hard liquor. Liquor store permits will be considered in the spring and summer.

The board generally only discusses applications that have garnered opposition or had issues during inspection, said Michael Langley, director of administration for Alcoholic Beverage Control Division. Other applicants are approved on a consent agenda. Langley said his office had not received much opposition to Benton County permits.

The five-member board is appointed by the governor for six-year terms. Members are Thomas P. Powell Jr. of Batesville, Tony Ellis of Little Rock, Ron Fuller of Little Rock, Jean Hervey of Plumerville and Martin B. Silverfield of Little Rock. Wednesday’s meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.

Businessowners have scrambled to install additional coolers and make space for the new inventory before Wednesday. The Walmart Supercenter on South Walton Boulevard in Bentonville cleared an aisle in the beverage section and added coolers, just waiting until permit approval.

Langley said businesses can pre-order alcohol before Wednesday but cannot accept delivery until permits are approved. Business representatives can go to Little Rock, where the meeting will be held, to pick up permits on Wednesday, he said. Otherwise, they will have to wait for the permits to arrive in the mail.

Mark Myer, district supervisor for Kum & Go, said he plans to send someone to Little Rock to pick up the permit for that business. His stores are set up with coolers, and the business plans to begin selling Wednesday.

Louis Jackson of Bella Vista pumped gas Friday at a Kum & Go in Bentonville. He said he will be glad to be able to purchase beer in local stores rather than driving to Missouri.

The county last allowed retail alcohol sales from 1933 to 1944. Residents in 1944 voted the county “dry,” according to Jennifer Sweet with the Rogers Historical Museum. A vote in 1947, held for the benefit of soldiers returning from World War II, confirmed the decision.

Despite the lack of retail sales, the county leads the state in the number of private clubs selling alcohol.

Keep Dollars in Benton County led the push to get retail alcohol sales on the November ballot. It collected 43,307 valid signatures in support of ballot access. The measure was approved with 51,487 votes for alcohol sales and 27,193 against in the general election in November.

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