Private retailers now selling booze in Washington
Jun 1, 2012, 6:56 AM | Updated: 1:46 pm
Private retailers in Washington are now able to sell liquor.
Private businesses could start selling booze at 12:01 a.m. on Friday as an initiative went into effect allowing private retailers and stores larger than 10,000 square feet to sell alcohol.
State liquor stores were closed under Initiative 1183, approved by voters last fall to dismantle Washington’s state-run liquor system.
Seattle’s Metropolitan Market on Queen Anne held a midnight party and dozens of people showed up to buy the first liquor from the private seller.
97.3 KIRO FM’s Chris Sullivan went out early Friday morning to see how early liquor sales were going at the retailers.
“Right now the liquor aisle at the store is more of an attraction than a point of purchase. A lot of people checking it out,” said Sullivan of the scene at Bartell Drugs on Capitol Hill.
Fifteen-hundred Washington retailers have obtained licenses to sell liquor and can begin sales starting Friday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
