Quote:

Really? the liquor store section doesn't have a separate entrance?

I've never been there...

Wow, one of five states with this stupid rule. I didnt realize how bad it was. If we cant get supermarkets and restaurants with licenses, can we at least get 24 hour bodeges and liquor stores so the city isnt dry at 10pm. It ends up giving NYC more business in the long run which essentially does hurt all liquor business in NJ. Dummies.

New Jersey's liquor laws are problematic and anti-competitive. On one hand, I certainly see a problem in urban areas selling alcohol in mini bottles and pints to bums; when the liquor store across from my office closed a few months ago, the beggar / wino / bum population vanished the very next day. But as a consumer, I really wish alcohol was easier to obtain, had more competition, better selection, and more competitive pricing. Also, I would love to see some restaurants with liquor licenses that allowed the sale of beer & wine, but not hard liquor. I think a lot of restaurants over extend themselves obtaining a liquor license when all they really need or want to do is serve wine and beer; restaurants derive a huge amount of profit from liquor sales, and I'd venture to say restaurants without liquor licenses often lose customers looking for a glass of wine with dinner. But the high cost of full liquor licenses pressures smaller restaurants into either not having a liquor licenses or also including a full bar.

the a&p in hoboken has a huge selection of wine/liquor/beer which you can just bring up and pay at the regular cash registers

Although I support this law, it would cause a lot of pain for a lot of small business owners. I don't buy the enforcement argument though. In all of the liquor stores in JC, I see 15 year olds go inside all the time to buy candy or soda or whatever.

Quote:


you can buy beer and i think wine coolers at supermarkets and convenience stores in nyc

in nj, some supermarkets such as wegman's and shoprite have liquor stores adjacent to their supermarkets but otherwise its not legal.

i don't get it - aren't we already allowed to buy liquor/beer at supermarkets?

I didn't realize that a shortage of liquor stores was a problem that might face our state's downtrodden urban areas. Thank you, Mr. Leighton, for alterting me of the problem.

Based on Mr. Leighton's wise statements, I propose that the best way to revitalize struggling business districts in Newark, Passaic, Camden, and other cities is to open a liquor store on every corner. That will definitely turn those cities around.

Lawmakers debate liquor licenses for grocery chains

by Tom Hester/The Star-Ledger
Monday December 03, 2007, 6:14 PM

New Jerseyans would be able to buy liquor, beer or wine at supermarkets or convenience stores -- like consumers in 45 other states -- under a bill debated before a legislative committee today.

Lawmakers took no formal action on the bill, which would change a 47-year-old law designed to prevent monopolization, price-fixing and mob influence. Owners of mom-and-pop liquor stores complained the measure is a first step toward supermarket chains gaining control of the state's retail liquor business.

Fred Leighton, president of the New Jersey Liquor Store Alliance and owner of Bayway World of Liquor in Elizabeth, argued the legislation would hurt struggling business districts, raise the risk of minors illegally obtaining liquor at busy supermarkets, and lead to price hikes.

The director of the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control said the proposal is unnecessary and is opposed by the Corzine administration. He said it would make it more difficult to enforce the drinking age.

"When I see a 15-year-old walk into a liquor store, I assume there is a problem," Jerry Fischer, state ABC director, told the committee. "When I see a 15-year-old walk into a supermarket, I can't assume anything. I have very valid concerns."

The bill (S1691) would change the existing system that limits any corporation or individual to only two retail liquor licenses statewide. It is being pushed by the New Jersey Food Council, the lobbying arm for such supermarket chains as Acme, Stop & Shop, Pathmark, Whole Foods and Quick Chek.

"The existing law is anti-competitive, unfair and riddled with loopholes," said Deana Lykins, a consultant retained by the N.J. Food Council. "It is a protectionist measure for one part of the liquor industry."

Read more in Tuesday's Star-Ledger