New Sheetz Gets Board OK to Sell Beer

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. -- Customers at the new Sheetz store here will soon be able to buy beer now that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (LCB) approved the application.

With this week's nod, the Sheetz at 359 E. King St. will be the first convenience store in central Pennsylvania to sell beer, according to PennLive.com.

The store opened Thursday but shoppers will not find beer for sale on opening day, said Gary Zimmerman, assistant vice president and legal counsel for Sheetz Inc. It could take several weeks, pending an on-site inspection by the LCB. The board's decision also can be appealed, he told the news outlet.

Altoona-based Sheetz has been seeking approval to sell beer at the store for more than two years and faced opposition from trade groups and at least one high-ranking public official. The LCB previously postponed a vote on the measure in June, as CSNews Online previously reported.

"We understand some of these decisions are not easy," Zimmerman said. "For us, it's about providing customers a place to get what they want, and they have overwhelmingly told us they want to buy it in safe and convenient locations. It's all about the consumers."

According to Zimmerman, the Shippensburg store will sell more than 90 beer items including domestic, import and craft beers. The store will have two separate sides -- one dedicated to the restaurant with beer sales and the other side the convenience store. State regulations require cafe seating and separate cash registers for the purchase of beer.

Customers who wish to purchase beer will be carded and have to swipe their driver's licenses through the cash registers for validation.

Sheetz already sells beer in one of its Altoona stores. Zimmerman said the chain is considering selling beer in a second location in Altoona.

Sheetz operates more than 437 convenience stores throughout six states: Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina.