Will Arlington Heights let gas stations sell liquor? Village is looking at ending ban

Arlington Heights could overturn its long-standing ban on liquor sales at gas stations, amid a request from station owners who have begun to sell more than just candy and gum in their convenience stores.

The majority of the nine-member village board said this week they're open to exploring a policy that would allow stations with established minimarts to sell packaged beer and wine, though they still had questions on how a minimart would be defined under village code, among other concerns.

The request to allow packaged liquor sales came from John Graham, owner of the BP station on the northwest corner of Arlington Heights and Algonquin roads. It follows similar requests from four other gas station owners in recent years, village officials said.

There are 18 gas stations in Arlington Heights, 33 businesses that already sell packaged liquor, and 70 other businesses that hold liquor licenses.

“Without a number of different products to satisfy the convenience factor and the expectation of the customer, you just aren't able to sell enough and create enough of a profit to handle things like the real estate tax bill, which is approaching $150,000 a year,” Graham told the board Monday night during a committee discussion. “These are things that force us in Cook County and towns like Arlington Heights — which is a privilege to do business in — to find ways to re-create ourselves and put ourselves in a position where we are able to compete.”

Graham, whose family has operated gas stations in the Chicago area for 100 years, said gasoline represents a large percentage of his sales but is a high-volume, low-margin business. At his gas station in Northbrook, packaged liquor is a small percentage of sales — an average of $1,000 a day — but it adds to the viability of the overall business, Graham said.

A survey of 30 municipalities found 18 permit alcohol sales at gas stations, including Buffalo Grove, Rolling Meadows, Prospect Heights and Des Plaines. The dozen that prohibit sales includes Elk Grove Village, Schaumburg, Palatine and Mount Prospect.

Arlington Heights has had its liquor ban for gas stations on the books since November 1976 — a policy that's been reviewed seven times since 1981 and upheld every time. The last review, which included a look at other liquor code rules, took place in October 2016.

Mayor Tom Hayes, who asked the village staff to revisit the policy after Graham reached out to him, said he favors packaged beer and wine sales at gas station minimarts of a certain square footage. While that store size is still to be defined and considered, Hayes said overturning the ban would help Arlington Heights eliminate a competitive disadvantage with other towns.

Trustees John Scaletta and Jim Tinaglia were the only two board members Monday in favor of retaining the existing policy.

“I'm all about leveling the playing field. I just don't know that this is appropriate,” Scaletta said. “We've expanded (alcohol sales) into 7-Elevens and Walgreens. At what point are we kind of done. It would be convenient when you're picking up your child from day care that you grab a six-pack. I mean, it's kind of silly, but at some point where do we stop having alcohol for sale?”

According to Village Manager Randy Recklaus, Arlington Heights Police Department officials are opposed to liquor sales at gas stations, over concerns of impulse purchases and a likelihood of drinking and driving.

Trustees asked Recklaus and the village staff to bring back more information about the police department concerns and develop criteria on how to define a minimart, whether by square footage or other metrics.