Provided by Chuck Moran, Executive Director
Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association
On July 16, 2024
In front of the Stop-and-Go Legislative Task Force

Senator Williams. Members of the Stop-and-Go Legislative Task Force, thank you for inviting the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association to provide testimony on a concerning issue for the City of Philadelphia. That issue is what we all know as “Stop and Go’s.” We commend the chair and members for taking this problem seriously and working to do something to take state action to get these places under control, and closed where appropriate.

The PLBTA, often just called the Pennsylvania Tavern Association, represents Pennsylvania’s small business, family-owned taverns, bars, and licensed restaurants, and have Philadelphia members in neighborhoods from Eastwick to Somerton and in between. Part of our mission is education and training for members to help them run the most efficient, legal and safe establishments possible. We take that mission seriously.

Thankfully, we can’t say that we see Stop and Go types of businesses across the state. In fact, we only hear complaints in Philadelphia. And, in a nutshell, these are businesses, often a convenience store or deli, that somehow found a way to qualify for and purchase a liquor license.

As you know, having 300 square feet of “serving space,” food prep on site and seating and chairs for 30 people are the minimum requirements for an E license to sell beer and malt beverages. That by itself isn’t a problem. Across Pennsylvania there are convenience stores like Sheetz and Rutters that have liquor licenses, are not problematic, and run respectable businesses.

The establishments that we are talking about today often do not meet all of these requirements to hold either an E or an R liquor license – such as the seating – are sometimes associated with crime, and simply put are nuisances to the community. Furthermore, it’s not unusual to find health and safety issues within the business despite the requirement that they have current and valid health licenses.

Frankly, the negative things happening inside and outside these establishments act like a magnet to bring the wrong crowds.

All of that makes any honest licensee scratch their head and wonder why these businesses are allowed to operate … either with our without a liquor license.

The Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association is concerned that these problematic businesses are giving all of us a black eye. And, we want them stopped.

But, as this committee knows, we are not the PLCB. We are not Liquor Control Enforcement. So, we can’t take their licenses away. That has to be done through others. And, in defense of the PLCB and LCE, they sometimes have their hands tied due to state laws and procedures that they must follow.

However, we can reaffirm our promise to you, Chairman, to work with you and help you lobby for changes in the liquor code that make sense, clean up Philadelphia, and don’t cause collateral damage to honest establishments across the state.

But let me add that this issue clearly goes beyond the liquor code. And changes to the liquor code by themselves won’t be the remedy to fix it. You can easily track this issue via Google back at least 8 years. During that time span, you can see the discussions and efforts taken to fix it.

We believe that resolving this issue will require looking at other aspects within the City neighborhoods that contribute to the problem. Community health, crime, and illegal drugs are some things to consider within the conversation. Likely, a true solution will also involve Philadelphia local policing as well as community health and treatment options may also be part of the solution.

Let’s face facts … today, the PLCB already has special arrangements with the City of Philadelphia for police patrols at the state’s liquor stores. The PLCB pays a lot of money for this arrangement with the local police. We all know that state stores only sell liquor to go. Yet, they appear worried about potential crime. Possibly those police patrols are key.

With all that said, as an Association, outside of lobbying for change, there is one other thing we can do immediately to help you. We don’t want these businesses as Members of our Association. We would invite you to provide a list of such establishments that we can use when we review member applications.

Again, we thank you for inviting the Tavern Association to be a part of the conversation on this important matter, and we renew our pledge to continue working with the Task Force, the General Assembly and the PLCB to get action directed to stopping the problems associated with these Stop-And-Go’s.