N-A Minit Should Not Be Able to Sell Singles | ||
|
Stephen Whitfield, 1323 E St. NE, spoke with Marc Borbely, 536 13th St. NE, about his views on the sale of single-serving containers of beer at N-A Minit. Mrs. Lee, one of N-A Minit's two owners, declined to respond to Mr. Whitfield's comments but said she might decide to speak publicly at a later date. Mr. Whitfield: Excello is not selling single bottles, but I see it every day in N-A-Minit. Everybody trusts N-A Minit, and they think that they're the good guy on the block. N-A Minit is the culprit. Excello is not the culprit. I've been around here eight years. N-A Minit is selling the singles. Excello does not sell singles. Or at least, if you go in there, you can't buy a 40-ounce, you can't buy a 32-ounce, you can't buy a single beer — you've gotta buy a six-pack. That's the way it was when I lived in Pittsburgh. You had to buy a case. I think that Excello is taking the rap for everything that goes on around here, simply because they got the name up there that says "Liquor Store." Mr. Borbely: From your point of view, is the whole singles thing important? Does it make a difference in the neighborhood? Only trash-wise, and people hanging out. I've seen guys defecating or urinating in the alley. I mean, I come home every day — I see it every day. I lived in Pittsburgh, okay? And if you ever lived in Pennsylvania, the only place you can buy a six-pack is in a bar. If you're gonna go out to a retail, you've got to buy a case. They will not sell you a single; they will not sell you a six-pack. You've got to go to a bar. I didn't know that! So you can't buy a single. In Pennsylvania? You can go in a bar, but you can't buy one to take out into the street. It's a commonwealth, just like Virginia. If you're gonna go to a distributor — at that time I was drinking Rolling Rock — you have to buy a case. Ask me if I got a problem with it? 32 ounces, 20 ounces, promotes the thing that everybody's talking about. Because you've got a guy with 32 ounces come out here, he's got five dollars for drugs, and a dollar for a beer. My problem — is, after reading your paper, I think N-A Minit is getting away with murder. And for them to assume Excello's license — I think the situation is gonna get worse, if N-A-Minit [buys] their license. If people think that because N-A Minit is taking it over, it's gonna be a good deal, [they're wrong] — it's gonna be the same thing. You want to end the problem? End it. Right then, right there. How? No singles. For anybody. In 6A, 6B, whatever this is — no singles. Don't give them the option. One of N-A-Minit's arguments is that they can't survive as a business if they don't sell singles. Now what does that tell you? If they can't survive as a business without selling singles,
and they're a grocery market, what does that tell
you? It's not a grocery market, is it?! If they sell food
in there, and they tell you they can't survive
without selling singles, what does that tell you? What
does their business live on? Selling singles. If it
walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck.
The ultimate goal is to shut down the liquor store.
If that's not gonna be done, then what's the |
|
|