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Mountain liquor store owners mixed over end of Sunday booze ban

By Joanne Kelley, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published July 2, 2008 at 10:39 p.m.
Updated July 3, 2008 at 1:03 p.m.

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Cashier Todd Shannon, 26, of Aspen Village, checks the identification of a customer Tuesday at Local Spirits on Main Street in Aspen.

Photo by Paul Conrad / Special To The The Rocky

Cashier Todd Shannon, 26, of Aspen Village, checks the identification of a customer Tuesday at Local Spirits on Main Street in Aspen.

Jagermeister lines the shelves at Lukas Liquor Superstore in Lone Tree. Sunday liquor sales will be legal starting Sunday.

Photo by Chris Schneider / The Rocky

Jagermeister lines the shelves at Lukas Liquor Superstore in Lone Tree. Sunday liquor sales will be legal starting Sunday.

Haisfield runs the Local Spirits liquor store in Aspen.

Haisfield runs the Local Spirits liquor store in Aspen.

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Visitors to Aspen often find the entrance to Local Spirits liquor store open on Sundays, but that's only because owner Michael Haisfield happens to be inside taking inventory.

Sunday liquor sales have been prohibited in Colorado for decades, leaving tourists in some resort towns high and dry when they discover they can't stock up after arriving for a week of skiing or other leisure pursuits.

"People always come up and get excited when they think we're open," Haisfield said. "But we have to explain to them we're not."

All that will change Sunday, when liquor stores will be permitted to sell libations seven days a week.

The move has been met with skepticism by some store owners, particularly those at small shops who value having a day off each week to organize their businesses or just relax. Some say the extra day will merely spread out sales or shift some of Saturday's sales to the next day, especially at stores relying mostly on local residents who have become accustomed to the schedule.

But in resort areas that depend on a steady stream of out-of-towners, liquor store owners expect to catch at least some extra business from travelers.

"For the person who comes here from Phoenix and is used to buying alcoholic beverages 24 hours a day and seven days a week, this will probably be helpful," said Jay Jaynes, owner of The Wine House, a full-service liquor store in Crested Butte. "But I have to confess, I liked having a mandated day off."

Jaynes said the handful of local liquor stores in his neck of the woods will likely plan to open on Sundays.

In Vail and other upscale enclaves, condominium and hotel concierges have become adept at alerting late Saturday arrivals to make a trip to the liquor store their first order of business. But inevitably, some visitors would find themselves stuck on Sundays.

"I'm going to miss my day off," said Jonathan Staufer, who owns Grappa Fine Wines & Spirits in Vail Village. "But it's what people want, and we shall dutifully oblige."

kelleyj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5068

Comments

  • July 3, 2008

    6:26 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Acemon writes:

    There's nothing to prevent liquor stores from closing on Monday, just like motorcycle dealerships and hair salons. They're not required to open on Sunday, either, just like Hobby Lobby.

  • July 3, 2008

    6:57 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    hdfresh writes:

    Local liquor store owners always have the option to hire somebody to work on Sundays so they can still enjoy one day off. Or as Acemon points out they can close on Mondays which are usually the slowest day of the week I would figure. I know I couldn't work 7 days a week thats for sure.

  • July 3, 2008

    7:12 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    RJS07 writes:

    In small communities they could always rotate which store is open on a particular Sunday...that is the way they used to work these things out....

  • July 3, 2008

    7:53 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    boulder1259 writes:

    You guys do realize that the law was changed purely for tax reasons?

  • July 3, 2008

    8 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    surferon writes:

    The only reason liquor store owners got onboard with this law is that they did not want grocery stores to sell 6.0% percent beer and wine as it would greatly cut into their profits.

    One of the earlier posts was very good, they could just close on Mondays or they could choose to close on Sundays also if they wanted to. Nobody is forcing them to be open on Sunday the new law just gives them an option to be open if they so choose to.

  • July 3, 2008

    9:08 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Scott writes:

    RJS07:

    You've got it. Nebraska use to (still does?) have a law on the books that liquor stores HAD to be closed one day a week. The city of Lincoln decreed that it WILL be Sunday. All of the small farm towns around Lincoln, smelling an opportunity, were closed on Monday. Or in the case of Denton, Nebraska, one was closed on Monday and the other on Tuesday.

    Scott

  • July 3, 2008

    10:58 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    FlyfishDude52 writes:

    surferon - You hit the nail on the head. It was a compromise to keep stronger beer & wine out of the grocery stores. Friends that own a liquor store corroborated this last year when this was debated. They aren't going to make any additional sales, they anticipate by being open on Sunday they will only maintain their existing market share.

    Personally I think everything should be closed on Sunday ( not for religeous reasons). OK maybe a gas station here & there can be open. I grew up with that scenario & would like the motion to go back that direction.

  • July 3, 2008

    12:12 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Hambone writes:

    Personally I think everything should be closed on Wednesday.

    Uh, actually that's stupid, kinda like being closed Sunday.

  • July 3, 2008

    1:40 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    TheDenverB writes:

    "You guys do realize that the law was changed purely for tax reasons?"

    well, thatis a big factor... but ask just about any resident here if they wanted this to happen for convenience reasons as well, and they will likely answer 'yes'.

    it's a win/win boulder.

    so, like grunt said:

    what is your point?

  • July 3, 2008

    4:01 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    shelly100 writes:

    What's the problem? Can't they choose not to be open on Sunday, just like many other businesses do? I thought that the right to be ABLE to sell liquor on Sunday was won, not that liquor stores were FORCED to sell liquor on Sunday.