Liquor stores: Earlier closing hurts

Thursday, Dec. 15, 2005

Prince George’s County liquor store owners are singing the blues, saying a new law that limits their hours has cut sales by at least 25 percent.

The law, signed by Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) in June, mandates the county’s liquor stores to close at midnight. Previously, stores were allowed to stay open until 2 a.m.

Barry Goldstein, owner of Kenilworth Liquors in Riverdale and president of the Prince George’s County Alcoholic Beverage Association, said his store — which had annual revenues of more than $1 million in the past — has lost about $200,000 in lost sales since the law took effect July 1.

‘‘Prohibition is alive and well in Prince George’s County,” Goldstein said. ‘‘This was a political thing to fight crime in the county. I don’t think it’s successful. You can’t cut hours from your business and sustain the way you do business.”

In supporting the bill earlier this year, Prince George’s officials argued that the earlier closing time would deter crime, as consumers from neighboring jurisdictions come into the county to buy liquor late at night. Most of Montgomery County’s liquor stores close by 9 p.m., while Washington, D.C.’s stores close by 10 p.m. Liquor stores in Virginia stay open until midnight.

John Erzen, a spokesman for County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D), said the bill was driven by the county’s ‘‘efforts in public safety.”

‘‘The majority of the [police] calls were coming between midnight and 2 a.m.,” Erzen said. ‘‘You’ve got two to three officers responding to calls for services to liquor stores, when they could be responding to something else. When we looked at that, and analyzed those numbers, that’s when we decided to close them at midnight.”

Erzen said county officials would not have data on the law’s impact for another six months, at which time they will analyze the statistics.

Kenilworth Liquors, which closed at midnight even before the new law took effect, does its best business between 10 p.m. and midnight, because many customers purchase top-shelf merchandise during those hours, Goldstein said. Even after the store closes, customers line up outside his establishment, wanting to buy liquor.

‘‘People don’t understand that you have to close at midnight,” Goldstein said.

Jane Springer, executive director of the Maryland State Licensed Beverage Association Inc. in Annapolis, said the limited hours in Prince George’s have cut sales up to 30 percent in the county, but have boosted sales in neighboring jurisdictions.

‘‘It hurt them a great deal,” Springer said of the law’s impact on the county’s liquor stores. ‘‘There’s a need for enforcement. Closing up a business isn’t the way to do it. You just don’t close up the problem.”

Combined, sales of liquor, wine and beer generated more than $27.3 million in state taxes in fiscal 2005, up from $26.9 million the previous year, according to the comptroller’s office.

Tommie Broadwater, a former state senator and owner of The Ebony in Fairmont Heights, said his liquor store has lost between $150,000 and $200,000 in revenue this year. As for the crime factor, Broadwater said his combination restaurant-bar-liquor-store and strip club has its own security patrolling the premises.

Broadwater, whose establishment previously took in 20 percent of its revenues between midnight and 2 a.m., said he hopes his business can survive the earlier closing time.

‘‘You just hope it picks up,” Broadwater said. ‘‘All of us are hurting. I know this store is. I’ve talked to two stores, and they’re crying like I’m crying. It ain’t no making it up.”