Country Fair Exec Talks Liquor Sales at Public Hearing

| June 29, 2018

OIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) – The Oil City Council held a public hearing regarding the transfer of a liquor license to the Country Fair located at 1 Spring Street in Oil City Thursday.

The Council heard from Paul Rankin, Vice President of Retail Marketing for Country Fair.

Rankin said the liquor license is a restaurant liquor license that would require a renovation of the Spring Street store.

“We would put in 30 seats, and the kitchen would be moved closer to the road,” Rankin said. “We also purchased land adjacent to the store where there is a former music store. That is where we would expand into parking.”

Under the current plans, the store would move back to where the kitchen is located currently, according to Rankin, as long as all of the changes would be current zoning codes.

Rankin also said that the store would be allowed, by Commonwealth law, to sell beer and wine products only.

“It would be a takeout business primarily,” Rankin said. “If you want to consume it on site, you would be limited to no more than 40 ounces, and you would have to buy food. In our eight stores that sell liquor, I think we have had two beers consumed.”

According to Rankin, the 40-ounce limit is a Country Fair policy, while consumers would be able to purchase up to 192 ounces to be consumed off property, which is the Commonwealth law.

“We very much enjoy being a part of Oil City,” Rankin said. “This expansion is needed for us to continue to be viable.”

Rankin said the original business plan of Country Fair was cigarettes and gas sales but those have declined.

“We look more towards a restaurant model now,” Rankin said.

Rankin said the estimated cost of the improvements to the Spring Street store would be a quarter of a million dollars, perhaps a little more.

City Manager Mark Schroyer asked about security at the store, and Rankin said Country Fair is very agreeable to anything that would limit issues.

One of the more interesting things that Rankin said seems to work is playing classical music.

“Classical music is considered undesirable,” Rankin said. “We want to be as proactive as we can.”

Schroyer asked what sort of increase in traffic and sales Country Fair might see if it got approval for the license.

“On the whole, we expect a six percent increase in sales,” Rankin said. “That volume is based on what we have seen at other stores.”

Rankin also said the majority of the liquor traffic would most likely occur in the evening, which is a change from the store’s current busy period in the morning with sales mostly consisting of coffee and breakfast foods.

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