Oklahoma liquor laws

[jompster]

There’s nothing I hate worse than “hi, how much is this beer? ‘$5’ oh, great I’ll have that....’that’ll be $6.13 please.'

Isn't that how it is with almost everything else you buy except petrol? I don't really care how much the drink costs as long as I feel happy after I drink it. I went by Walmart earlier for one particular thing (hate Walmart, but it's close) and ended up accidentally snagging a bottle of wine. It's delicious and went very well with my beef curry, and I'm happy right now.

[Uptowner]

There’s certain things, commodities even, like gasoline and food vs “prepared food” taxes that should just be included in the price. Booze is such a thing that $5 should be $5. Not $6.15 after the fact.

[bchris02]

Wal-Mart on 23rd doesn't have wine yet either. I think some grocery stores were ready but others it's going to take them time to adjust to it. I also think as grocery stores remodel going forward with the new laws taken into account, selection will become greater. At this time, I'm not aware of a single grocery store in OKC that has the kind of beer selection grocery stores in Dallas do. Why? They were all built for the small selection of 3.2 beer that was always available here and nothing else. That will change with time.

I'll still mostly be going to Freeman's because they have such a wide selection. Grocery store availability though is very nice when you need it in a pinch and don't want to settle for 3.2. I think people will quickly discover that the liquor store still has the better selection, even if the grocery store is more convenient. One thing I'm intrigued by is why liquor stores have been reluctant to expand their hours so far. Freemans is still 9PM and that's one of the store that I assumed would jump on later hours.

I think the biggest concern for the liquor stores is going to be with wine. For example, I pretty much drink bottom shelf stuff so everything I would want is available at Homeland. I doubt I will go to the liquor store for wine unless I need something special. I'm sure many other wine drinkers are like me and the liquor stores will lose a lot of that customer.

[Uptowner]

There’s a lot of status quo and family run liquor stores going on here. What boggles my mind is why they (the liquor stores) weren’t given a fair playing field. Sure, they can sell what is classified as “food” now. And I’ve seen limes and chili salt. But they can’t sell retail items like tobacco, lighters, candy, etc. I understand that this would allow places like 7-11 to get a liquor license, but is that so bad?? I frequent Arizona and their law has been set up like that for decades.

Liquor stores are just going to have to try harder to get that business. For example, why isn’t there a reddy ice cooler outside every store as of October 1? Why aren’t they staying open later? It seems like too many family businesses not welcoming or taking advantage of change.

[barrettd]

There’s a lot of status quo and family run liquor stores going on here. What boggles my mind is why they (the liquor stores) weren’t given a fair playing field. Sure, they can sell what is classified as “food” now. And I’ve seen limes and chili salt. But they can’t sell retail items like tobacco, lighters, candy, etc. I understand that this would allow places like 7-11 to get a liquor license, but is that so bad?? I frequent Arizona and their law has been set up like that for decades.

Liquor stores are just going to have to try harder to get that business. For example, why isn’t there a reddy ice cooler outside every store as of October 1? Why aren’t they staying open later? It seems like too many family businesses not welcoming or taking advantage of change.

Are you saying the liquor stores can't sell tobacco, lighters, etc or they won't? Because they absolutely can. Grand Cru has a humidor and a ton of lighters, cutters, etc.

[bchris02]

Liquor stores that refuse to adapt to the new laws and take advantage of them will be the ones that won't last. That's the fact of the matter.

[baralheia]

So AB InBev is now selling Ziegenbock in Oklahoma? A former co-worker here in Denver always had me pick some up when I was back in Texas (he was from Corsicana and went to Tech) for him since they don't sell it in Colorado. I stuck with my Shiner Bock (when I could drink).

Ziegenbock became available in Oklahoma a couple of years ago now. Since 2010 or so AB has been slowly filtering it out to states bordering Texas. Full strength is 4.0% ABV (3.2% ABW) so it was legal for sale in grocery stores, where I usually found it.

[chuck5815]

Liquor stores that refuse to adapt to the new laws and take advantage of them will be the ones that won't last. That's the fact of the matter.

Oh?

[TheTravellers]

Are you saying the liquor stores can't sell tobacco, lighters, etc or they won't? Because they absolutely can. Grand Cru has a humidor and a ton of lighters, cutters, etc.

I could be wrong, but I thought liquor stores could sell anything else besides alcohol as long as it wasn't more than 20% of their sales.

[ABryant]

I have worked in many other states that allow chain liquor stores. The locally owned liquor stores that prosper are the ones that go above and beyond. I just can't get in board with a protectionist view. As a consumer we deserve a free market.

[Johnb911]

I could be wrong, but I thought liquor stores could sell anything else besides alcohol as long as it wasn't more than 20% of their sales.

Not quite 'anything' but yeah, they can sell complimentary stuff now. That's what Barrett is saying.

[Soonerinfiniti]

Will grocery stores be able to sell draft beer for consumption on premises. I'm always interested when I am at the Whole Food by Northpark that has a small bar area with draft beer...

[Dustin]

Moore liquor is price matching Walmart... Now that's going above and beyond for your customers!

[bluedogok]

I have worked in many other states that allow chain liquor stores. The locally owned liquor stores that prosper are the ones that go above and beyond. I just can't get in board with a protectionist view. As a consumer we deserve a free market.

We have some very large liquor stores for Colorado being a one-store state although there were some modifications in existing law recently. There is still the one-license per entity requirement for liquor but wine and above 3.2 beer is going to be allowed in grocery stores soon. There are a couple of stores with the same name that recently opened a second location that are somehow getting around the one-store issue, maybe they just have beer/wine at one location. I guess kind of like Spec's and Twin Liquors down in Texas.

[bille]

One thing I'm intrigued by is why liquor stores have been reluctant to expand their hours so far. Freemans is still 9PM and that's one of the store that I assumed would jump on later hours.

Considering so many argued against grocery and convenience stores sells due to unfair hours I don't understand this one either.

Liquor stores that refuse to adapt to the new laws and take advantage of them will be the ones that won't last. That's the fact of the matter.

Agreed

I have worked in many other states that allow chain liquor stores. The locally owned liquor stores that prosper are the ones that go above and beyond. I just can't get in board with a protectionist view. As a consumer we deserve a free market.

This is what many can't comprehend.

Will grocery stores be able to sell draft beer for consumption on premises. I'm always interested when I am at the Whole Food by Northpark that has a small bar area with draft beer...

Not yet unfortunately. Soon though, I hope, and across the board, not just grocers. One of my favorite places to visit in Texas is a growler fill "bar" where you can get anything from a few ounce taster to huge growlers to go.

We have some very large liquor stores for Colorado being a one-store state although there were some modifications in existing law recently. There is still the one-license per entity requirement for liquor but wine and above 3.2 beer is going to be allowed in grocery stores soon. There are a couple of stores with the same name that recently opened a second location that are somehow getting around the one-store issue, maybe they just have beer/wine at one location. I guess kind of like Spec's and Twin Liquors down in Texas.

It changed to two licenses.

[jerrywall]

One thing I'm intrigued by is why liquor stores have been reluctant to expand their hours so far.

Several things to address here. One is staffing capacity. Many liquor stores are family run businesses (I'd say most of them - Obviously the dozen or so larger ones aren't). So you're looking at the owner working longer and longer hours, or needing to find reliable people to help cover the expanded capacity for reasonable pay. This can be tricky. When we had a liquor store is was basically a be there 7 am to 9pm, 7 days a week proposition for us. We finally got where we could have an evening manager but it was always tricky finding and maintaining good evening staff. This is also the time period you're most likely to get robbed or have other incidents.

Two is stores working out how many hours are justified. The same reason car lots aren't eager to expand to 7 days a week sales, and that when I had my hobby collectible shops we adjusted hours till we found the right balance. For many businesses, there's a certain amount of money to be made on a daily and weekly basis. More hours doesn't always increase this. It's sort of a bell curve. The more specialized the industry, of course the more it's true. In my hobby shop, I found that 7 days a week, 12 hours day made me no more total sales that 5 or 6 days a week (closing Sundays and for a while Mondays), and having 10 hour days. So the extra hours were just added expenses in security, electricity, and staffing, or my own personal time. Stores will make their decisions based on their locations and demands. I've been to plenty of large cities where there is even 24 hours liquor sales allowed, and the boutique shops, especially in certain areas, had much more limited hours that the places, say in a downtown area, that were open 24 hours.

Related to this, and someone elses comments about the retailers arguing against the fairness of the expanded hours to large retailers. One, the RLAO while loudest, represents a small minority of liquor stores. I'm not sure they even have 10% of liquor stores in Oklahoma as members. Maybe not even 5%. The stores don't have a monolithic mindset. Most owners don't have the time for that. Two, I think the majority of the stores would have been happier with Sunday sales and sales on certain holidays (Memorial, Labor Day, etc) than longer hours in a single day.

[Swake]

Several things to address here. One is staffing capacity. Many liquor stores are family run businesses (I'd say most of them - Obviously the dozen or so larger ones aren't). So you're looking at the owner working longer and longer hours, or needing to find reliable people to help cover the expanded capacity for reasonable pay. This can be tricky. When we had a liquor store is was basically a be there 7 am to 9pm, 7 days a week proposition for us. We finally got where we could have an evening manager but it was always tricky finding and maintaining good evening staff. This is also the time period you're most likely to get robbed or have other incidents.

Two is stores working out how many hours are justified. The same reason car lots aren't eager to expand to 7 days a week sales, and that when I had my hobby collectible shops we adjusted hours till we found the right balance. For many businesses, there's a certain amount of money to be made on a daily and weekly basis. More hours doesn't always increase this. It's sort of a bell curve. The more specialized the industry, of course the more it's true. In my hobby shop, I found that 7 days a week, 12 hours day made me no more total sales that 5 or 6 days a week (closing Sundays and for a while Mondays), and having 10 hour days. So the extra hours were just added expenses in security, electricity, and staffing, or my own personal time. Stores will make their decisions based on their locations and demands. I've been to plenty of large cities where there is even 24 hours liquor sales allowed, and the boutique shops, especially in certain areas, had much more limited hours that the places, say in a downtown area, that were open 24 hours.

Related to this, and someone elses comments about the retailers arguing against the fairness of the expanded hours to large retailers. One, the RLAO while loudest, represents a small minority of liquor stores. I'm not sure they even have 10% of liquor stores in Oklahoma as members. Maybe not even 5%. The stores don't have a monolithic mindset. Most owners don't have the time for that. Two, I think the majority of the stores would have been happier with Sunday sales and sales on certain holidays (Memorial, Labor Day, etc) than longer hours in a single day.

Sunday sales are available, it’s by county option and requires a vote.

[barrettd]

Sunday sales are available, it’s by county option and requires a vote.

And I'd really like our county to vote on it. Sunday sales would be more important, to me, than extended hours.

[jerrywall]

And I'd really like our county to vote on it. Sunday sales would be more important, to me, than extended hours.

That's the trick. Oklahoma and Tulsa, and probably Cleveland counties will probably hold votes sooner rather than later, if there is enough demand. But for most of the state it could be decades before Sunday sales.

[FighttheGoodFight]

That's the trick. Oklahoma and Tulsa, and probably Cleveland counties will probably hold votes sooner rather than later, if there is enough demand. But for most of the state it could be decades before Sunday sales.

I would be very surprised if Oklahoma, Tulsa and Cleveland counties don't pass these by a wide margin and in quick order.

[shawnw]

two of the three county commissioners need to call for a vote I believe

[Bunty]

That's the trick. Oklahoma and Tulsa, and probably Cleveland counties will probably hold votes sooner rather than later, if there is enough demand. But for most of the state it could be decades before Sunday sales.

I hope you're wrong, but see where you're coming from. Counties took decades to legalize liquor by the drink on Sundays after implementing it for the rest of the week. When they did that, some didn't include holidays, so now if high point beer is counted the same as alcohol, bars and restaurants will have to be totally dry on holidays. Visitors from out of state will wonder, if they have been plunged back to the days of prohibition. So in some parts of this bible belt you can, strangely enough, be served a drink on the Lord's Day, but not when it's a holiday.

[bluedogok]

It changed to two licenses.

I thought that might have been the case after the last election.

[foodiefan]

. . .don't want to "jinx" anything, but just curious. . .have seen so, so many different labels (both vintners and offerings) than ever before.
Found at WF. . . "Merf". . either a cab or pinot (can't remember, bottle long gone!), delightful at $15. . .and even at Crest (23rd/Meridian), Menage a Trois. red/$7.98 and Silk /$8.08. . . pretty decent everyday "quaffer". . and prices are (currently) lower than Total Wine/Denton. Think this is a "forever" thing. . or just a "buy-in". . and why the plethora of different labels??

[Bill Robertson]

OK. I’m big enough to admit when I’m wrong. I was a huge believer that most domestic beers, especially light beers, could not possibly taste that much different. I went toe to toe with many people on the issue. I was wrong. I drink Ultra where it’s on tap and Coors Light when it’s not. Both are noticeably different. Jury is still out whether I like the lighter taste or the heavier taste. Not that it really matters.