Sheetz Has Goal to Sell Alcohol in Every Store

ALTOONA, Pa. — As sales of beer in convenience stores become more common, Sheetz Inc. is looking toward the day it stocks alcoholic beverages in all its stores across Pennsylvania.

"Our goal would be to provide alcohol in every store where we are able to," said Gary L. Zimmerman, Sheetz vice president and general counsel.

According to the Altoona Mirror, his comments came 10 years after the convenience retailer sold its first 12-pack of Coors Light — on Feb. 1, 2007. At the time, then-Sheetz CEO Stan Sheetz told the news outlet he doubted alcohol would be sold at the other Sheetz c-stores in the state.

However, now after 10 long years and a hard-fought battle, the Altoona-based retailer is converting its "soda caves" into beer caves and alcoholic beverages can be found in the cold vaults. Sheetz also sells wine in several locations, a move made possible by the 2016 passage of Act 39, the Adult Beverage Convenience and Wine Privatization Act, which made wine sales available to businesses with hotel and restaurant liquor licenses.

"Where we are able, we will have wine," Zimmerman told the news outlet.

To date, 23 Sheetz stores in Pennsylvania sell beer and other malt beverages, and liquor licenses are pending at nearly 20 other locations, he said.

Adding alcoholic beverages to the mix in Pennsylvania allows Sheetz to offer a consistent offering across its footprint. "It's part of our model in the other five states that we operate in," Zimmerman explained. "Now that we're able to offer beer, it just makes it consistent. That makes it nice for the consumer to know what we offer."

Pennsylvania's requirements for a restaurant liquor license include food sales, square footage and seating criteria. Those rules have impacted the way Sheetz stores are designed, Zimmerman told the Altoona Mirror.

"Years ago, our leadership made the decision to build new stores and rebuild old stores and add seating," he said. "Most of the modifications we made to the stores that are already selling have been very minor."

Family-owned and -operated, Sheetz has more than 550 store locations throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina.

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