HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Convenience stores in Pennsylvania—and Sheetz c-stores, in particular—won a long-fought battle this week when the state Supreme Court dismissed a case brought by beer distributors seeking to overturn a license awarded in 2014 to a Sheetz store to sell carryout beer.
The license was approved by the state Liquor Control Board because the store met the criteria for a restaurant.
However, the distributors argued that the license is illegal because state law does not allow for beer sales in locations that sell liquid fuel, such as gasoline.
The court tossed out the case following a recent decision that clarified the liquor code based on previous court rulings, according to a report in the Tribune-Review.
Rodrigo Diaz, chief counsel for the Liquor Control Board, agreed the clarification—a June ruling that allowed supermarkets to sell wine to go—made the Supreme Court judgment understandable.
“It's good to know we don't have to keep defending ourselves in court,” Diaz told the newspaper. “We weren't trying to take sides, (pitting) one licensee vs. another. We were just trying to do our best to be consistent in our interpretation of the statute.”
The court decision comes two months after Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf urged the Liquor Control Board to "free the six-pack" by awarding liquor licenses to nine retail sites that sell gasoline, including other Sheetz c-stores.
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