Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — The state should look at letting grocery stores sell liquor, consultants hired to come up with a new business plan for the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control told a legislative committee Wednesday.
But the Bonneville Research consultants said the liquor operation should remain separate from the grocery stores themselves, suggesting they could be in separate facilities in the same retail complex.
"We never thought it was appropriate to sell alcoholic beverages in stores alongside pears and apples," the firm's president, Bob Springmeyer, told the Business and Labor Interim Committee.
Instead, Springmeyer, a former Democratic candidate for governor, cited the state's Avenues liquor store as an example of an outlet that could be turned over to a grocery store to run as a package agency.
Rep. Brian Doughty, D-Salt Lake, said the state should be out of the liquor business and not concerned with whether a constituent bought a bottle of wine on impulse.
Package agencies are private operated liquor stores that share profits with the state. They are typically located in less-populated areas of the state, but the consultants suggested they be looked at like franchises.
The Avenues liquor store is located in a retail complex owned by Smith's Food and Drug, which has a grocery store on a separate level. Springmeyer said the state leases space for the liquor store from Smith's.
Rep. Todd Kiser, R-Sandy, said he's already heard from a constituent who was excited at the prospect of being able to buy alcohol where she does her grocery shopping and would increase her purchases if that option became available.
"We want to control impulse buying," Kiser said.
Another member of the committee, Rep. Brian Doughty, D-Salt Lake, said the state should be out of the liquor business and not concerned with whether he bought a bottle of wine on impulse.
"I feel like we're looking at a nanny state a lot of times," Doughty said.
Springmeyer, whose firm was paid nearly $100,000 for the business plan, said any such liquor outlet would have a separate entrance and cash register than a grocery store.
He also said it could be located near the store, as some banks and fuel stops already are. But the alcohol would not be sold "actually in the grocery store as you would expect to see in California."
Kiser asked if the proposal would include removing low-alcohol beer from the grocery stores operating package agencies. Springmeyer said that would be an option.
The state controls the sales of liquor, wine and high-alcohol content beer, in retail outlets as well as in restaurants and bars. Some lawmakers are talking about privatizing those sales.
The DABC, which oversees the sales, has been the subject of multiple legislative audits. The most recent found the agency had been "incompetently managed" and accused the former executive director of committing a felony by doing business with a company owned by his son.
The allegation is under investigation by the Utah Attorney General's Office and the head of the Department of Commerce, Francine Giani, is temporarily running the agency.
Earlier legislative audits raised questions about threatened liquor store closures to meet budget cuts and found a $300,000 loss by a now-closed package agency in Eden.
Springmeyer's recommendations included consolidating stores in Murray and South Salt Lake, and the Avenues and downtown wine stores in addition to converting three stores into package agencies — the Avenues and two in Park City.
Email:lroche@ksl.com
