Credit: Google Maps
The soon-to-be owners of a Middletown Township gas station along busy Route 1 were planning to add the sale of food, beer, and wine, but two of those options were shot down earlier this week.
On Monday evening, the Middletown Township Board of Supervisors voted to deny a liquor license transfer from Warrington Township into Middletown Township.
Advertisements
The transfer of the license was sought by Kayi Inc., who has an agreement to purchase Picerno’s Gas Station at the corner of South Bellevue Avenue and the Route 1 southbound access road. The roughly one-acre property sits in Middletown Township and is bordered by Langhorne Manor Borough.
Attorney John Rodgers, who represented Kayi Inc., said the company aims to buy the gas station that sits right along busy Route 1 and renovate it. The new owners would add a food counter that would sell hoagies, chicken, and breakfast sandwiches. The liquor license would also allow them to sell wine and six-packs of beer.
The renovations would require the site be hooked up to the sewer system, Rodgers said.
Advertisements
While the gas station wouldn’t encourage drinking of beer on site, they would increase seating from 12 to 30 chairs in the building to comply with Pennsylvania’s liquor law. The new operators also would not encourage but be required to allow people to have one drink on site, Rodgers said.
The owner of Kayi Inc., who lives in Bensalem Township, has managed convenience stores and gas stations before, includes ones that sell beer and wine. The previous locations he managed did not have any state liquor law violations, the attorney representing the company said.
Advertisements
Becky Gilbert, who lives near the gas station, told the supervisors she did not think it was a good idea to sell beer and wine along a highway.
“That’s dangerous,” she said, adding selling alcohol at the gas station “may kill some people”
Some of the supervisors raised concern over the proposal before denying the liquor license transfer.
Advertisements
The man looking to buy the gas station and his attorney were caught of guard when Supervisor Chairperson Tom Tosti informed them PennDOT would be closing highway access to access road by the gas station under the Route 1 overhaul plan.
Sales of beer and wine at gas stations isn’t very common in Pennsylvania, unlike many other states. However, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has allowed gas stations to sell beer and wine after obtaining restaurant liquor licenses in recent years. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board doesn’t offer licenses that specifically cater to gas stations.
Advertisements
Report a correction via email | Editorial standards and policies
