ALTOONA – Amid the bevy of options for coffee, sandwiches and snacks, one Sheetz store in Altoona will now offer beer and malt beverages for sale to its customers.
Sales of alcoholic beverages will take place only at the Valley View Boulevard location at the Altoona Convenience Restaurant. Built in 2004, the addition of alcohol sales is the latest in advancements that make the Sheetz store stand out among other locations.
Ammenities such as indoor seating for more than 50 people and a drive-thru were joined by a selection of beer Thursday.
“We are pleased to be at the forefront of the changing landscape of liquor laws in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Stan Sheetz, president and CEO of Sheetz Inc., said. “Our Convenience Restaurant is an innovative concept, and selling beer at this location is no doubt another way we have used innovation to bring a higher level of convenience to our customers.”
Sheetz said the store had to conform to special requirements from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to obtain permission to sell beer and malt beverages, requirements that were not spelled out in Pennsylvania statutes.
“We did everything to satisfy the requirements that they chose to impose upon us.”
One change that had to be made was the installation of a yellow speed bump to separate the gasoline pumps from the rest of the Convenience Restaurant, further separating the two sections of the business that are distinct legal entities.
“If you went to buy gas here, you would by it at the pump, and in fact, couldn’t finish the transaction in the store,” said Michael Cortez, legal counsel for Sheetz Inc.
Similar point-of-sale gasoline purchases can be completed at the Nichols Street, Clearfield, Sheetz location with both cash and credit cards accepted at the pump. But, Sheetz said not to expect this location to offer alcohol for sale any time soon.
“Based on the current state of the law and the current state of our facilities, we will not pursue liquor licenses for other Pennsylvania locations,” Sheetz said.
Sheetz said some of the company’s stores already have the required amount of seating to obtain the appropriate license.
“We’ve been looking around a little bit, but if we do it, it will be very few and far between.”
Sheetz also noted that all employees who will sell alcohol are required to complete Responsible Alcohol Management Program training (RAMP) and Training for Intervention ProcedureS (TIPS).
“We will do everything we can to remain responsible retailers of age-restricted products,” he said.
A total of 107 Sheetz stores in five other states sell beer.
In Pennsylvania, the Valley View Boulevard, Altoona, Sheetz is the only convenience store to obtain a license to sell beer and malt beverages.
“We have made a significant investment to ensure the responsible sale of all age-restricted products, including beer and tobacco products,” said Sheetz.
In addition to extensive training, Sheetz has also put computer screening tools into place to remind employees to check customer identification cards.
“For example, when a customer tries to purchase an age-restricted product like beer or tobacco, messages on the cash register screen prompt our employees to verify the customer’s age. The register also provides the appropriate ‘born on’ (date) to help make sure the customer was born on or before the necessary date to be of legal age.”
Sales at the store will be limited to 7 a.m. until 2 a.m., Monday through Saturday with 11 a.m. until 2 a.m. as Sunday hours. All beer and malt beverages must be out of the store by 2:30 a.m. When alcohol is not permitted to be sold, the coolers will be locked.
Other services will be provided at the store 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Sheetz added that no alcoholic beverages are allowed to be consumed in the store. He said it was the company’s experience in other states that led to the rule being carried over to the Altoona store.
“We have learned that we do not want to be a bar, if you will.”
Sheetz said the decision to sell alcohol was part of the company’s Total Customer Focus that has been the guiding principal of the business since its founding in 1952.
Phylis Jay of Bedford County was the first customer to purchase beer at the Valley View Boulevard Sheetz Thursday.
“It’s about time,” she said. “It’s convenient.”
“It’s been a long time coming, I think,” Luke Sheehan of Altoona said.
He was leaving his gym when he learned that the store was set to begin alcohol sales. He decided to stop by to be one of the first.
“Every other state has been doing it for years.”
It is customers like these, Sheetz said, that want conveniences such as the one implemented Thursday.
“We make every effort to provide customers with products and services that make their lives easier,” Sheetz said. “For our customers who buy beer, it is an added convenience to be able to purchase it at our restaurant when they come in for dinner or to pick up other items.”