Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Alcohol Licenses topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tuscaloosa council approves alcohol licenses for new Walmart 2500, including separate liquor box
Summary
The City Council approved multiple Alcoholic Beverage Control licenses for a new Walmart and its fuel station, including a Class 2 package store "liquor box" with a separate entrance. Police reported no objections during public hearings and Walmart representatives described the store layout and planned opening date.
The Tuscaloosa City Council approved a set of Alcoholic Beverage Control applications for a new Walmart (DBA Walmart 2500), allowing off-premises retail beer and table wine sales at the store and fuel station and authorizing a Class 2 lounge retail liquor package store for a separate "liquor box." The votes came during a public hearing in which the police department reported no objections.
The approvals cover ABC applications 25-020A and 25-020B for retail beer and retail table wine at the Walmart store, 25-021A and 25-021B for the fuel station, and application 25-022 for a Class 2 lounge retail liquor package store (the liquor box). Mayor Walt Maddox opened the public hearings; Officer Champion of the Tuscaloosa Police Department told the council the police department “doesn't have any objections to this applicant.”
James Sheets, presented himself as the store manager for the Tuscaloosa Walmart and said he looked forward to opening the store and “the opportunity we have right now as far as what we're planning to do with this Walmart.” Patrick McWhorter, representing Walmart Stores Inc., told the council the company will use a model with a fully separated liquor box and separate entrances, similar to designs used in other states. McWhorter said that the liquor box “will not be close to the service station. It'll be in the physical building itself” and that hard liquor would be sold only from within the liquor box.
Council members asked about alcohol sales at the fuel station. Sheets said the fuel station will sell single-serve canned beer and cases at the pumps but that hard liquor would not be sold at the pumps. He described the liquor box as connected to the store but requiring its own entry: “You have to actually exit the store and go in and out of the liquor box. There's no other way in and out.” He also confirmed the fuel island will have 10 pumps (double-sided, serving 20 positions) and that the store's grand opening is presently slated for June 18.
All ABC applications were approved after the public hearings. The council recorded the motions, and multiple council members voted in favor during the roll calls called by the mayor.
Votes at a glance: ABC application 25-020A (Walmart 2500 retail beer off premises) — approved after public hearing; ABC application 25-020B (Walmart 2500 retail table wine off premises) — approved; ABC application 25-021A (Walmart fuel station retail beer off premises) — approved; ABC application 25-021B (Walmart fuel station retail table wine off premises) — approved; ABC application 25-022 (Walmart 2500 liquor box Class 2 lounge retail liquor/package store) — approved.
The city clerk recorded the approvals and the council moved on to other agenda items after the votes.
