Alcohol measure could help, hurt

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July 3, 2008

Larry Penkava The Randolph Guide Thu Jul 03, 2008, 04:23 PM EDT

RANDLEMAN — Randleman stands to lose if Asheboro votes in alcohol sales, but Thomasville feels like a winner no matter what the outcome.

Both cities have had alcohol for years but Thomasville voted in liquor-by-the-drink about a decade ago. Randleman citizens rejected on-premises sales in 2006 by just 13 votes and could have another opportunity as early as next May.

Tony Sears, Randleman city manager, chafes when he hears opponents of alcohol wonder what has alcohol done for his town. “We don’t have liquor-by-the-drink,” he says, stating that it’s a prerequisite for attracting nice restaurants and hotels.

Nevertheless, Randleman still nets more than $285,000 from combined sales at its ABC store and from beer and wine. He said last year’s ABC store distribution was $267,014 and the city earned $18,550 from retail sales of beer and wine.

“That saves us 7 cents on our property tax rate each year,” Sears said.

What his town lacks, he said, is liquor-by-the-drink, which would “allow people to sit down in a restaurant and buy it by the glass.” And that’s why hotels and fine restaurants don’t want to locate in Randleman, he said.

“Two national restaurant chains have told me that they’d rather be in Asheboro but they wouldn’t mind locating in Randleman because we’re in their service area,” said Sears. “Randleman and Asheboro are one community in the eyes of (a major chain).”

Sears sees the best-case scenario in the Asheboro alcohol referendum as having a vote for liquor-by-the-drink but against ABC stores. That way, he said, establishments with permits to sell mixed drinks would have to buy their liquor from the Randleman ABC store.

Otherwise, if Asheboro had its own ABC store, Sears believes that would severely diminish Randleman sales.

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THOMASVILLE – Thomasville Mayor Joe Bennett will tell you that his city is better off with ABC stores and liquor-by-the-drink. Previously, those sales went to High Point or other surrounding cities.

“We did have people going to other towns,” he said. Now Thomasville has two ABC stores, one on the north side and the other on the south. They’ve also attracted a few restaurants that serve drinks, including Ruby Tuesday and a homegrown establishment called the Copper Landing.

Having ABC stores and mixed drinks hasn’t hurt the quality of life in Thomasville, Bennett says. “Under control, bootleggers have dried up,” he said. “There’s no difference in town. Some don’t want to partake, others enjoy a glass of wine. I haven’t seen any difference in the crime rate. We have not found a DWI spike.”

Bennett said there were concerns when plans were made to locate an ABC store in a shopping center next to a supermarket.

Some believed the grocer would be hurt by the liquor store next door.

“It didn’t hurt (the store) one bit,” Bennett said, adding that people often go from the ABC store to shop for groceries next door.

“Our ABC stores are doing very well,” he said.

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