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Need beer but don’t have enough gas in your car to get to the store? No problem. Now you only need to make one stop.
On Wednesday, the three-member Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board voted to give nine gas stations throughout the Commonwealth a license to sell beer; four of those nine licenses are in Luzerne County.
The four gas stations in the county that received licenses:
• Arch Six Packs to Go LLC, 220 E. Eighth St., Wyoming
• Fast Lane Six Packs to Go LLC, 2349 Sans Souci Parkway, Hanover Township
• SAI Hazleton LLC., 285 S. Church St., Hazleton
• Shivashish LLC, 1329 N. River St., Plains Township
Gov. Tom Wolf pushed for the six-pack licenses in a letter to “free the six-pack,” saying that giving the licenses to gas stations will “increase convenience and improve customer satisfaction for all Pennsylvanians.”
State law does not allow establishments that offer alcohol to sell fuel.
The board ruled that selling gas and beer at the same facility won’t conflict with state law as long as there are separate cash registers and the products remain separate.
Elizabeth Brassell, director of communications for the PLCB, said different entrances must be “separate and distinct from where the gas is sold.”
Ashok Patel, who owns SAI Hazleton LLC, as well as the SAI Hess Market LLC, on state Route 487 in Orange Township, Columbia County, received licenses for both his businesses during the vote.
“This will help our gas station,” he said, “The margin (on gas prices) is shrinking all over.”
Patel will need to expand both his locations, which includes getting permits from the respective cities. He hopes to be ready to sell beer within 30 to 45 days.
The ruling states the gas stations can begin selling beer as soon as they receive their license, Brassell said.
Michelle Lamela, of Tunkhannock, and Amanda Yuhas, of Larksville, believe it’s “about time” Pennsylvania changes the “restrictive and out-of-date beer laws.”
“Almost every other state in our nation embraces consumer convenience,” Lamela said.
Yuhas said she would patronize a gas station that now sells six-packs over one that doesn’t.
Currently, there is a court case before the state Supreme Court as the Malt Beverage Distributors Association and two local beer distributors filed suit against the PLCB for allowing the licenses. The beer distributors are calling for separate parcels and separate buildings. A commonwealth court judge has ruled in favor of the PLCB but the decision has been appealed.
“The board is approving licenses based on prior practices,” Brassell said. “Chairman Holden, during the public meeting, said holding the license would harm convenience stores.”
For local distributors, like Wilkes-Barre’s Beer Super owner Dave Shipula, the licenses being handed down was surprising.
“We’ve been restricted to one business, lots of restrictions,” Shipula said.
Shipula is concerned that soon gas stations will sell mixed drinks and have happy hours.
“(The licenses transform) predominantly a food venue to an alcohol venue,” he said.
Brassell offered clarification, saying all nine licenses are for beer sales but two Western Pennsylvania business are licensed as distributors.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.