Trader Joe's

[BoulderSooner]

Bchris02,
It's been three years since I was there, but in Littleton, Co., 3.2 was all I could purchase in the grocery stores.
C. T.

Colorado changed their law. Now 1 chain location in the state can sell wine/ high point beer.

[ctchandler]

BoulderSooner,
One chain? In other words, KingSooper and Safeway are not the "chosen" one(s)? I believe those are the two stores that I purchased beer from. Actually, I know one was Safeway, not sure the other was KingSooper. What chain is it? And why would they pass a law like that? It seems the government has given a competitive edge to one chain.
C. T.

Colorado changed their law. Now 1 chain location in the state can sell wine/ high point beer.

[BoulderSooner]

Only 1 location of a chain. Ie the whole foods in boulder sells wine the Other Colorado locations do not The Denver trader joes is the only 1 of the 3 to sell wine.

[ctchandler]

BoulderSooner,
My mistake, I mis-read your comment. It takes a while, just type slower next time, I'm old!
C. T.

Only 1 location of a chain. Ie the whole foods in boulder sells wine the Other Colorado locations do not The Denver trader joes is the only 1 of the 3 to sell wine.

[BG918]

The liquor store lobby has a similar stranglehold on Colorado as it does Oklahoma. The 1 store per chain law is pretty lame and pretty much only Denver benefits (and Boulder with Whole Foods). It would be interesting if OK had this same law which stores would be the "chosen ones" in the state. All would likely be in the OKC and Tulsa metros since there are so few small chains left in rural Oklahoma.

[Urbanized]

Yes. There are more states that don't allow wine, but 3.2 beer today is unique to only Oklahoma, Kansas, Utah, and Minnesota. Colorado once had similar laws but they seem to be relaxing their laws in recent years.

Fair enough. I was just wanting to make sure that you weren't suggesting you COULDN'T GET strong beer in Oklahoma at all, which if of course not the case. I figured you were more astute, but nevertheless lots of people believe this about beer in Oklahoma.

[okcpulse]

If/when Trader Joe's ever comes to OKC its a shame they won't be able to sell beer/wine. 46 out of 50 states allow strong beer sales. Oklahoma needs to come into the 20th Century.

You might want to note that, in addition to the 3.2 states, there are 7 states that do not allow ANY alcohol sales in grocery stores. And some of these states, I might add, are liberal bastions.

Rhode Island
Pennsylvania
Alaska
Delaware
New Jersey*
North Dakota
Wyoming

*Some locales in New Jersey are allowed to sell beer in grocery stores, but that is VERY few and far between.

[bluedogok]

When I was in Boston a few years ago they still had the package store concept, the Whole Foods by our hotel (right by Mass General) had no alcohol at all.

As others have stated, except for the one licensed location 3.2 beer/malt beverage is all you can get in grocery/convenience stores. In many ways the liquor laws between Oklahoma and Colorado are very much the same.

[Urbanized]

One place where Colorado laws are much better (though OK recently improved): craft brewery tasting rooms.

[bluedogok]

One place where Colorado laws are much better (though OK recently improved): craft brewery tasting rooms.

Yep...but it has slowly transitioned as well. Much slower than the huge craft beer sector has liked.

[BG918]

One place where Colorado laws are much better (though OK recently improved): craft brewery tasting rooms.

Oklahoma is slowly changing that. HB 1341 passed last year allows limited tasting at craft breweries. There just aren't that many yet outside of a few in OKC (Coop, Mustang), Tulsa (Marshall) and Krebs. Colorado has them everywhere with Denver having a microbrewery or two in just about every neighborhood and numerous ones downtown.

[Urbanized]

Believe me, I am intimately familiar with the tasting room situation in Colorado.

[PWitty]

You might want to note that, in addition to the 3.2 states, there are 7 states that do not allow ANY alcohol sales in grocery stores. And some of these states, I might add, are liberal bastions.

Rhode Island
Pennsylvania
Alaska
Delaware
New Jersey*
North Dakota
Wyoming

*Some locales in New Jersey are allowed to sell beer in grocery stores, but that is VERY few and far between.

I was about to post the same thing. Colorado also doesn't allow full strength beer in the majority of its stores. At least the stores we stopped at on the way to Breckenridge last week didn't.

[Urbanized]

Sshhh... ...you'll spoil the narrative that we are unique in our backwardness...

[FighttheGoodFight]

I was about to post the same thing. Colorado also doesn't allow full strength beer in the majority of its stores. At least the stores we stopped at on the way to Breckenridge last week didn't.

How I understood it from a person in New Jersey is they have a small liquor store right next to the grocery store that is not connected but sells liquor.

[bchris02]

How I understood it from a person in New Jersey is they have a small liquor store right next to the grocery store that is not connected but sells liquor.

This is how they do it in a lot of states. In Oklahoma, the fact that liquor stores must be sole proprietorships and must be owned by somebody who has been an Oklahoma resident for at least ten years prevents chain stores from opening up their own liquor stores.

[bchris02]

Any updates on this?

The buzz about Trader Joe's being interested in the OKC area started back in 2012 yet here we are half way through 2014 and nothing.

[Pete]

They are going into NH Plaza.

I'm sure Glimcher is wrapping up the lease.

[Jeepnokc]

This is how they do it in a lot of states. In Oklahoma, the fact that liquor stores must be sole proprietorships and must be owned by somebody who has been an Oklahoma resident for at least ten years prevents chain stores from opening up their own liquor stores.

And I believe they can only own one store which is why we don't see chains like Spec's in Houston.

[bluedogok]

And I believe they can only own one store which is why we don't see chains like Spec's in Houston.

Yes, Colorado is similar to Oklahoma with only one store but they do not have the residency requirement. That is why the Trader Joe's at 8th & Colorado is the only one with liquor as is the Whole Foods in Boulder and the King Soopers in Glendale.

In Texas a person can hold up to five liquor licenses, "family members" (by blood or marriage) can pool their licenses together to form an operating company which is how the chains exist in Texas. The Austin area Spec's are licensed to a husband and wife of the family so they could have up to 10 stores. Then beer and wine is licensed for grocery stores more like the 3.2 beer is Oklahoma and Colorado. There was a lengthy article on all of that in the Austin Chronicle (their version of the Gazette) when Spec's first entered the Austin/Central Texas market.

[Jeepnokc]

Yes, Colorado is similar to Oklahoma with only one store but they do not have the residency requirement. That is why the Trader Joe's at 8th & Colorado is the only one with liquor as is the Whole Foods in Boulder and the King Soopers in Glendale.

In Texas a person can hold up to five liquor licenses, "family members" (by blood or marriage) can pool their licenses together to form an operating company which is how the chains exist in Texas. The Austin area Spec's are licensed to a husband and wife of the family so they could have up to 10 stores. Then beer and wine is licensed for grocery stores more like the 3.2 beer is Oklahoma and Colorado. There was a lengthy article on all of that in the Austin Chronicle (their version of the Gazette) when Spec's first entered the Austin/Central Texas market.

BTW...Spec's Rocks! Especially the downtown Houston store!

[bluedogok]

BTW...Spec's Rocks! Especially the downtown Houston store!

We have some similar (large, single) liquor stores here in the Denver area but I do miss Spec's and some of the foods they carried as well as the beer selection. We would go to the one at Mopac & Ben White in South Austin when we lived there. It was a former Academy Sports store after they relocated to a former Home Depot down Brodie.

[Teo9969]

Love love love Spec's

[Bunty]

If/when Trader Joe's ever comes to OKC its a shame they won't be able to sell beer/wine. 46 out of 50 states allow strong beer sales. Oklahoma needs to come into the 20th Century.

I would assume that most Oklahoma legislators do not drink, so why expect them to take any interest in doing what it takes to get together and reform Oklahoma's drinking laws. It will take citizens doing something like circulating a petition to vote on reform. But probably too few citizens are interested in doing that.

[AP]

I would assume that most Oklahoma legislators do not drink, so why expect them to take any interest in doing what it takes to get together and reform Oklahoma's drinking laws. It will take citizens doing something like circulating a petition to vote on reform. But probably too few citizens are interested in doing that.

Why would you assume that? I would assume that the majority of them do in some form.