Sheetz announced Monday it would become the first convenience store chain in Pennsylvania to sell wine and that the sale of the first bottle would happen at a Shippensburg store.
Sheetz board director Louie Sheetz and Mike Turzai, speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, are slated to appear at Shippensburg for the announcement, along with other state officials.
Turzai is the primary sponsor of a bill that privatizes the sale of alcohol in Pennsylvania. Advocates say the legislation will provide the state with a financial boost of up to $150 million in revenue.
Sheetz would like to sell wine in all of its 150 Pennsylvania stores, but the roll-out will probably take some time, a Sheetz spokesperson said.
The chain will start selling it first in the stores that already have liquor licenses, she said.
On Monday, the spokesperson did not know if Sheetz stores in Venango County will be stocking wine.
Several Sheetz stores in the state already sell beer.
“Sheetz looks forward to providing Pennsylvania customers with what they have long been asking for, the convenience of a one-stop shop,” a press release from the chain said.
The company said it enforces a “100 percent proof-of-age” policy and requires identification from anyone who wants to buy alcohol.
Pennsylvania has historically had complex liquor laws and a number of lawmakers, including Gov. Tom Wolf, spoke out in favor of privatizing liquor laws and taking them out of the sole hands of government.
The bill also allows for a number of other changes to the liquor code, including the ability of grocery stores that sell beer to also sell wine. Gas stations can sell six packs, and people may now have wine shipments sent directly to their homes, among other things.
Wolf signed the liquor reform bill into law in June.
October is Wine Month, according to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
