This is a picture of the produce section of the La Princesa Market in Watsonville, California. It’s owned by Ahmad Abud, and is the same kind of supermarket he wants to open on the south side of Peoria.
I got meet Mr. Abud today over my lunch break and take a tour of the old Miracle Mart that he is in the process of renovating. He plans to offer good-quality, fresh produce like you would find at Kroger or Cub Foods. He’s also planning to have a full-time butcher on staff. There will be a lunch counter where one can get fresh, hot foods, coffee, juice from concentrate, etc. There will be standard grocery items (brand names and generic) — dairy items, canned goods, etc. As a special niche, he plans to offer a full line of Hispanic food items.
And yes, in one corner, taking up approximately 1,800 square feet, he will sell packaged liquor, if his liquor license is approved. On that point, Abud expressed many times how surprised he has been that this is such a point of contention. He points out that every grocery store sells liquor, and the reason is because there’s not enough margin on grocery items alone — especially in this poorer neighborhood where he’s locating, where prices will need to be low and affordable.
He had some other things to say about the liquor controversy, too. His cashiers will be required to scan the bar code on the back of the purchaser’s drivers license or ID card in order to sell liquor in order to keep it from being sold to those underage. He also points out that adults on the south side who want liquor are going to buy liquor whether they buy it at his place or somewhere else, so denying him a liquor license doesn’t really solve anything in that regard. All it would do is keep the residents from getting a grocery store, which they sorely need.
He’s using local labor to remodel the store, which is good for the economy. One disadvantage of the site is that Adams street has an unbroken median in front of the store that prevents those traveling north from turning left into his parking lot. He said the city had indicated a willingness to work with him on that, perhaps picking up 50% of the cost of redoing the median if Abud will pick up the other 50%.
Finally, Abud said he was willing to put in writing as a condition of his liquor license that the liquor section will never be more than 12% of the total square footage of the store. That means that if he ever wants to change that percentage, he’ll have to come back before the liquor commission.
I understand the concerns about opening just another liquor store on the south side, but this isn’t a liquor store. It’s a grocery store. And grocery stores today sell liquor. If we’re going to wait until a liquor-free grocery moves into the south side they will never get a grocery store. This project should be approved and the liquor license granted, subject to the square-footage restriction.
Update: I should have mentioned that this property is in the proposed Eagle View TIF district, and Abud is counting on that incentive as a requirement for opening his store. I think one would be hard-pressed to argue against the need for a TIF in this area.
So are you going to leave us in a lurch?
Pulaski Corp is???
There should be a restriction on the deal that requires him to not have over X% of sales in alcohol.
BTW, have you noticed who seems to own most of the liquor stores in town?
Vonster,
I wonder how your idea would work, would they have to track it and cut out liquor sales at the certain point in the month? It seems fraught with difficulty.
I think the % of square footage idea is great, though, it would prevent the store from turning from a grocery store that happens to sell liquor into a liquor store that sells a few other items.
Jennifer
Mr. Abud is incorrect in his statement that all grocers sell liquor. Case in Point, WalMart in Morton does not sell liquor. I don’t think they are hurting.
WalMart is not a grocer. They sell everything under the sun, plenty of ways to make up for the slim margin on groceries.
SD — BeanCounter is correct. In addition, WalMart’s operation is a little bigger than Mr. Abud’s.
frotuen cina — Still working on that one. I did find out that Abud is not the owner of Pulaski, but rather one of five owners, and he’s not the final decision-maker. When I find out more, I’ll post it.
It has to be by sales and it can be effectively tracked. Sales is the key. Space is not.
I think the self-imposed limitation by space is sufficient. Why should one grocer in one part of town be limited in the amount of sales of one particular item when those in other parts of the same community are not? If we want to fully develop the SouthSide, this is the type of project that can assist. Sure they don’t need another liquor store, but if liquor sales helps keep a nice grocery store in business — then everyone in that area benefits.
It’s time that a develop like this occur in that area and this is one the City should be assisting in developing (maybe not with money – but at least with acquiring necessary permits/licenses/etc.). If he’s truly investing $5million into the development, that’s probably more than has been invested in that area in some time.
Did I just hear Vonster advocating government monitoring and control of sales in a private enterprise?
Well … he must have had a May Day converstion. Who would have guessed that Vonster is a communist? Just hand the man a hammer and sickle and watch him sing the praises of the proletariat!
I agree with you, Knight. I assume, then, that you’re also against the Smokefree Illinois Act, which requires government monitoring and control of sales in private tobacco stores?
Thank you CJ – for both your citizen journalism and your common sense.
As I said at Billy’s site – roll out the red freakin’ carpet, and throw in some trumpets, for Mr. Abud.
Haddad’s in West Peoria does not sell liquor and they do a wonderful business without any trouble at all…..
I’m moonbat leftie, C.J. Of course I want government interference. I was merely pointing out a glaring example of Comrade Vonster’s hypocrisy.
Seriously, though … I don’t know how limiting liquor sales would even work.
“I’m sorry, sir. You can’t buy that six-pack. We’ve reached our quota for the month.”
Also, how do you justify applying a sales restriction to just that one store? The space limitation seems like a good compromise to me. The area badly needs a grocery store, and the alcoholics have plenty of places to get their booze already. I don’t think one more store selling liquor will besot the Southside.
LA — You’re right. I hadn’t thought of Haddad’s. I go there all the time, but since I’m not really a drinker, I never noticed whether they had liquor or not. After reading your comment, I called the manager there and he verified they do not sell liquor and they do just fine with the margin on grocery items. So, point taken.
I made the point over at Billy’s blog that this grocery store will be a huge boon for the community, in that the already low income single parents (for example) in Harrison (or the general area) will no longer have to spend extra gas money, in an already tight budget, to go get simple groceries that they currently pay about double for in the nearby convenience stores. That this is an important thing for low income families – as so often it is really expensive to be poor in the US (lack of convenient services in depressed neighborhoods requires them to spend more money on transportation).
So, those same single parents, with already tight budgets, stressing on how to keep their kids from getting shot – they don’t deserve a glass of wine beer because Haddad’s does just fine without selling liquor? They deserve a beer more than most folks I know, struggling in the near unbreakable cycle of poverty in the US today.
The handful of drunks who will hang out in their parking lot should not outweigh the importance of convenience for people who are infrequently afforded a modicum of convenience – since convenience is only for those who can afford it, really.
1,800 sf will make for a great liquor selection.
MDD – I was thinking the same thing.
What’s the square footage of Cub Liquor Store’s (that’s what I call the Cub at Midtown Plaza) prominent liquor department?
Congratulations to Mr. Abud for proposing to offer good wholesome food in a neighborhood where such can be hard to come by. I think the notion that liquor sales should be limited in poor, troubled areas, shows a disturbing racism. I remember when Aldi wanted a liquor license, they could have one for Sterling Ave., War Drive, but not Western Ave. (the store closest to me). How absurd to think that people on the South Side can’t control their liquor purchasing or consumption, but those in mid-to-North Peoria can. Or that the problems caused by alcohol abuse are limited to the South Side. I don’t get it. I would like to be able to purchase Aldi’s reasonably priced wine without having to waste gas to drive across town. Anyway, thanks for this interesting neighborhood story.
Dr. Knighty misunderstands my position on just about everything. Fortunately for him, it’s legal to be ignorant in America.