Wegmans and the Business of Beer

This Sunday (10/11) is the big opening of Wegmans supermarket in Collegeville. Most of the beer people I know have had this date marked on their calenders and are specifically awaiting the opening of the Pub inside the Market Street Cafe. The availability of hundreds of beers in a restaurant setting, along with single bottle and six pack sales will give many a reason to head to the market for more than the normal weekly shopping trip. Of course all is not happy in the land of hops and malt. The MBDA ( Malt Beverage Distributors Association) of Pennsylvania still has issues with retailers selling beer and believes supermarkets are managing to slide by established state laws. Currently a lawsuit filed against the LCB by the MBDA is expected to be heard shortly by the state Supreme Court. The hot topic is covered in depth in the current issue of Philadelphia Business Journal

Beer Bad. Twinkie Good.

I was just over at the Malt Beverage Distributors Association of Pennsylvania website catching up on their war against beer in supermarkets and gas stations in PA. Since Wegmans has wiggled through a hole in PA's liquor laws the MBDA of PA is more up in arms than ever. I won't dive too far into all the politics of the matter or try to contemplate what the over all effect of beer sales in supermarkets has on the current beverage landscape. I just love the convenience. What I found interesting was the visual propaganda they are using to support their point of view.

The image of a baby pushing a cart and pulling a six pack lets you know where they stand. Honestly, if the kid didn't have a pacifier I might of thought the MBDA of PA had something against little people buying over sized cans of beer. Not the case. They want to make sure that children aren't subjected to the repugnant act of purchasing beer. EEEEEEEK!!! The horror...the horror! The following points accompanied the image.

• Kids learn from watching their parents and other adults. So what kind of example will it set for children if we allow beer to be sold off the same shelves in supermarkets as cereal, vegetables and fruit? All in the name of convenience?


• Truth be told, Pennsylvania has more restaurants, bars and distributors licensed to sell take-out beer than it has gas stations, drug stores and supermarkets combined. That sounds like convenient access already.


• Take a moment to tell your legislator that you believe that more than 12,000 places to buy take-out beer in Pennsylvania is enough and tell them to say “no” to beer sales in supermarkets where we’ll send a message to kids that beer is just another beverage.

Hmmm, knowing all that how could Wegmans have even considered having a Kick Off the Summer Food and Beer Pairing last Saturday? Read about it here and here. Don't they love the children? Come on MBDA of PA get real. This angle is almost too silly to argue against. It's worse for little Johnny and Mary to watch their parents fill up a cart with overly processed, artificial, unhealthy, high caloric prepackaged junk. Maybe if kids were confronted with the responsibilities of beer earlier they wouldn't treat it like a quest for the ultimate forbidden prize. A mystery only revealed once you're 21 and can legally get wasted and act like an ass. Besides it's not the responsibility of supermarkets to set examples and send proper messages. That one falls on the parents. Somehow I don't think the little ones are destine for alcoholism simply because they watched mom and dad pick up a bomber of Troegs Nugget Nectar after shopping for a liter of Diet Coke. MBDA of PA, it's not the sanctity of the children you're worried about, it's the profit of those you support. Yes you should protect the interests of those you represent but at least create an intelligent argument. If this is the best you can come up with then expect to see more markets trying to follow in Wegmans footsteps.

Saturday the Beer Choice is Yours

So beer fanatic who are you gettin' with on Saturday? The choice is yours.

Get with Joe?
Edible World Joe Sixpack's Northern Liberties
Don Russell, a/k/a Daily News Beer Reporter Joe Sixpack, will lead a fun tour of the beer scene in Northern Liberties this Saturday. It's part of the "Edible World" series at First Person Arts, whose mission is to promote memoir and documentary arts.
Learn about the neighborhood's long history of beer and brewing while exploring one of the city’s most vibrant tavern scenes. We’ll enjoy great beer and food during an afternoon of tracing the steps of Philadelphia’s original craft brewers.
The tour is this Saturday, June 13, from 2-5:30 p.m. Tickets are $75 ($140 per couple), which includes ample beer and food samples. Info and tix 267-402-2055 or visit First Person Arts’ website at http://www.firstpersonarts.org/program/edible-world-food-tour

Get with TJ's
Bear Republic/Ballast Point Face Off
Two of the best west coast breweries face off with a head-to-head challenge. Who will be the victor?
6pm-??
On Tap:
Ballast Point Sculpin IPA (No Growlers)
Ballast Point Dorado DIPA (No Growlers-Bombers are available)
Ballast Point Big Eye IPA
Ballast Point Navigator Doppelbock
Ballast Point Wahoo Wheat
Ballast Point Calico Amber
Bear Republic Racer 5 (CASK)
Bear Republic Racer X
Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye
Bear Republic Heritage
Bear Republic Nor'Cal Pale Ale

Get with Wegmans
Kick off Summer--Beer and Food Pairing
What a great way to start summer! Stop by any of our Wegmans stores in Pennsylvania to taste great beers and easy entertaining foods that complement them. You’ll also be able to talk to regional brewery reps and our own culinary experts!
Date: Saturday, June 13
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Address: All Wegmans Pennsylvania Stores:
Allentown, Bethlehem, Downingtown, Erie, Erie West, Harrisburg, Nazareth, Scranton, State College, Warrington, Wilkes-Barre, and Williamsport.
Located in the Market Café Restaurant.
Cost: Free



Do Da Dippity

Wegmans: Bacon, Apples, Twinkies and Beer. Almost!

Wegmans supermarket in Downingtown, PA is not selling beer. Technically it's the Market Cafe inside Wegmans that is selling the beer. That little restaurant twist is what allows Wegamans Food Markets Inc to sell beer in many of its Pennsylvania stores, oops Market Cafes. Simply put you can't grab the dog food, oatmeal, Oreos and a bomber of Bear Republic Racer 5 and hit the regular checkout lane. The beer sales are limited to the cafe area. Likewise you can't purchase your kibble, cereal and cookies inside the cafe. So that there are no illegal operations a dividing beer no beer line is marked with waist high posts and stop sign reminders. Wegmans' license allows for the consumption of beer (wine and hard alcohol) on premise, making the experience of grabbing Chinese spare ribs, spring rolls and fried rice for lunch much more interesting. Keep in mind there are limits to your beer purchase. The two six pack rule or equivalent applies, you have to bag your own and expect to show your ID. Nothing overly shocking.

Whatever rules keeps the PLCB happy and allow me to put groceries and a few beers in the trunk for the ride home is a good thing. Is it the perfect situation? No, but it leans on the side of convenience. The Malt Beverage Distributors Association of Pennsylvania doesn't like it for the obvious reasons. Here's some of the legal speak from MBDA counsel, Robert Hoffman, Esq., in response to Wegmans' entitlement to a licence to sell alcohol.

ARGUMENT
I. THE PLCB’S AWARD OF AN “R” LICENSE TO WEGMANS’ BETHLEHEM
STORE VIOLATES THE STATUTORY RULES ESTABLISHING
THE VENUES AT WHICH BEER CAN AND CANNOT BE SOLD IN PENNSYLVANIA
MBDA’s central argument is that the real world seller of beer here is the Wegmans’
supermarket, operating under its “economy of scope” marketing strategy; the notion that the Market
Café is the seller is a legal fiction to which no one should give credence. Wegmans, in a “press
release” emailed to its customers months before the hearings, accurately described its contemplated
sale of beer as “shopping at Wegmans” (see Exh. P-4 (185a)), and the hearing record strongly
supported that conclusion.1 The PLCB, by treating that legal fiction as fact, has authorized what
Pennsylvania law does not permit: the sale of beer at and by a supermarket.
The PLCB’s decision to approve the interconnection has two articulated bases: (1) the
asserted lengthy history of issuing licenses in “similar” circumstances; and (2) the PLCB’s
conclusion that was “no reason to not approve” (Opinion at 117) the interior connections between
the Market Café and the Supermarket. The first conclusion is revisionist history and the second
reflects fundamental flaws in the manner in which the PLCB approaches its decision-making on this
issue. At the same time, the PLCB decision and Respondents’ Briefs ignore the central issue,
described above, that MBDA has raised; debunk arguments MBDA has not made; and misapply
statutory construction principles

For the full document go here.

Locally Wegmans is currently pursing a license for the new Collegeville store and has a license pending for a Malvern location scheduled to open next year.

I stopped by the Downingtown store Thursday after work just to check out the new layout and pick up a few bottles. Walking in the you are immediately confronted with four sided beer displays filled with sixes and bombers. The aisle to the left is a wall of import beer options. The opposite side is dedicated to American crafts. Surprisingly the macros are tucked back in the corner of the aisle almost hidden. Craft beer is strongly positioned in the cafe. Most people I encountered were shocked to see the beer setup. All seemed positive and impressed about what was available. My overall all experience was a good one. The prices presented no sticker shock. I think the Racer 5 bomber was $4.99 and the Troegenator bomber $3.99. The only negative experience came at the time of check out when the Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale wasn't in the system and thus not available for sale. Oh well no Rocket for me. I chalked it up to a small first day glitch.

Wegmans is a bit off my regular path, but if I'm headed to Victory or driving that end of route 30 I'll make sure to stop in. It will be interesting to see if they get more unique beer choices. If that happens it could become a true beer destination.

Wegmans Pub?

Philly.com is reporting that the new Wegmans in Collegeville will have a pub to go along with its vast array of high end grocery choices and Market Cafe. This will be a first for a Wegmans in Southeastern PA. The store is scheduled to open sometime in October. Going grocery shopping just got a whole lot more interesting. I can already imagine husbands signing on for the big weekend shopping trip.