Skip to main content

Sheetz Beer Petition Off to a Good Start

ALTOONA, Pa. -- A few weeks into its grassroots movement to petition for beer sales in Pennsylvania, Sheetz Inc. President and CEO Stan Sheetz told The Sentinel the retailer's effort so far has been met with "an overwhelming response."

"We're getting lots of people signed up," Stan Sheetz said of the online and paper petition drive at www.freemybeer.com, which started last month. "We're not surprised at all."

The petition states that signers support the "convenient and responsible sale of beer in Pennsylvania's grocery and convenience stores." The petition will be given to state lawmakers in an attempt to change the current laws that dictate the sale of alcohol.

As CSNews Online previously reported, the Altoona, Pa.-based company and others have tried traditional lawmaker lobbying to change the laws, but it hasn't gotten the General Assembly's attention, so it's time to take the effort to the people, Stan Sheetz said when first announcing the petition drive.

"The sign-ups match the polls. They'll say yes. This is not rocket science. They just want to be able to buy beer in Pennsylvania where they want," he said at the time. "Why is beer locked up like this? Nobody has a good reason for this."

Before starting the petition drive, Sheetz surveyed customers on whether they would buy beer in Sheetz stores, and the majority of those who responded -- 70 percent -- said they would, Stan Sheetz told The Sentinel.

The chain has locations in six states and currently sells beer in stores located in five of those six states. Pennsylvania is the only state where Sheetz stores are located that does not allow the sale of alcohol in convenience stores, the newspaper reported.

Related News:

Sheetz Petitions for Beer Sales in Pennsylvania

Sheetz Tries Again for Beer License
X
This ad will auto-close in 10 seconds