The long journey to Sunday retail liquor sales in Minnesota came to a conclusion July 2. Ordinances that had stood since the end of Prohibition had been amended by the legislature during arguments between pro-sales activists and large liquor outlets, smaller stores, and their business associations.
That battle is over. For the foreseeable future, liquor stores can now open on the seventh day of the week, with limited hours (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.).
Owners and managers of Northeast liquor outlets fell on both sides of the controversy. Owners of smaller stores thought sales volumes are unlikely to increase and that the same sales volume would be spread over an additional day.
Owners of larger stores and some newer locations framed the issue as one of choice, for both stores and customers. Choice or not, most everyone felt the need to open on Sunday, if only to stay abreast of the competition.
On opening day, we visited 10 area liquor outlets to see how they were doing. Two stores were not open: Mourado’s Northeast Liquor and Surdyk’s. Mourado’s owner Roger Mourad, who also owns Hilltop Liquors, said he wanted to give his employees a day off, while he and his family operated the Hilltop location.
Surdyk’s was left at the starting gate by order of the City of Minneapolis, as punishment for its earlier-than-legal Sunday opening back in March. The store also suffered a $50,000 fine and closure for two additional Sundays in July.
The outlet getting the most attention was five-year-old Stinson Wine Beer and Spirits, 2315 18th Ave. NE. The owners’ long-standing support for Sunday sales, aided by local pro-sales activist groups, resulted in something of a celebration when the store opened. Minnesota Beer Activist Brian Grodin said. “We formed our group for tap rooms, and we chose Sunday liquor sales to keep Minnesota taxes in Minnesota.”
Dozens of patrons and supporters lined up at the front doors, accompanied by a host of TV cameras, other media people, and members of Minnesota Beer Activists, a group that had taken up the Sunday-open cause after earlier successes legalizing brewpub growler sales. Stinson also sweetened the event with brewery and distillery tastings and a 10 percent markdown on all items.
On Sunday afternoon, Mike Larson, manager of the two St. Anthony Village municipal liquor outlets, said, “Although we exceeded an average Monday in fewer hours, our expectations were for the convenience of our customers. A single day won’t tell us what we want to know. We want to stay nimble, and will make adjustments to the hours if necessary. He added that the two stores opened for five hours, instead of the maximum seven, “to give our employees a break for their families.”
Geno Yildirim and his brother B, of Y and G Liquors, said they were “working extra hard” to include Sundays sales into their small family business. They both thought fall football season might help sales but said they would only continue to stay open on Sundays if the increased business justified it.
Sentyrz Market, 1612 N. 2nd St., is a special case. The 94-year-old grocery has had a liquor section inside the store for many decades; the grocery and butcher shop are open seven days a week.
Owner Walt Sentyrz said he initially opposed the ordinance permitting Sunday sales, even though he stood to gain from it. “If anybody wants to be open, it should be me. I only have to add one person to the counter; it’s a no-brainer.” He noted that his additional expense would be much less than stores that had to open just for liquor sales.
Todd McCoy, store manager at Central Avenue Liquors, said he put five staff members on duty Sunday, and sales appeared to be brisk, but he echoed the observations of other outlet managers and owners when he said, “We just won’t know for some time what the impact on sales will be.” Bob Marget, owner of River Liquors, agreed, saying “It’ll be months before we can see the effect of the change.” Manager Chris Huber at Top Valu Liquors in Columbia Heights said, “This was an extremely busy day, but it’s nice outside, there’s a holiday coming up Tuesday, and there’s also the novelty factor of the first Sunday opening.”
Roger Mourad had some of the strongest words for the ordinance change and its possible results. Interviewed at the end of the day in his Hilltop store office, Mourado said, “I’ve been in retail for many years. Big box stores like Costco and Sam’s Club are the ones that will benefit from all this. Actually, few people really want Sunday liquor sales, and this ordinance penalizes small businesses. I feel bad for stores in the suburbs. They will struggle more now, and some will fail. We are all being pitted against each other. I think someday individual liquor stores will be obsolete.”
At exactly 11 a.m., after speeches at a podium in front of the Stinson Wine Beer and Spirits store, two of the store’s three owners, Tim Berg and Daniel Mays, with Minnesota House Speaker Kurt Daudt standing by, opened their shop. As patrons streamed in, Minnesota Beer Activists member Andrew Schmitt shouted, while standing under a sign reading “Official Sunday Sales Kickoff,” “This is what freedom feels like!”
Below: Manager Todd McCoy at Central Avenue Liquors and Manager Mike Larson of St. Anthony Village Wine and Spirits. (Photos by Mark Peterson)