Delaware County Beer Distributor Bracing For Competition From Wawa
By Tim Jimenez
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- As Wawa waits for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board's green light to sell beer at a Delaware County store, a nearby business is preparing for yet another competitor in the marketplace.
The Wawa on Naaman's Creek Road in Chadds Ford is now a step closer to being able to dish out six packs. On Tuesday, the Concord Township Board of Supervisors voted, unanimously, to approve the plan. About a third of a mile away is family owned Brewer's Outlet on Wilmington West Chester Pike. Manager Brian Mutschler has been preparing for the decision.
"We all knew Pennsylvania was way behind the times," Mutschler says. "We knew one day it would just blow up and go everywhere, and that's what's happening."
Mutschler says he sees the writing on the wall. If supermarkets have beer, why can't Wawa? And it would be another business to chip away at his.
"Wawa doesn't need it to survive," Mutschler says. "If they don't get beer, they'll still be in business. If any of the supermarkets don't get beer, they'll still be in business. If we lose beer, that's it, it's over."
But he says shops like his still have a leg up.
"If you're going to a party, you're not going to Wawa or a grocery store to buy two six-packs and walk in and out of the door every five seconds to get more," Mutschler says. "We still sell kegs, 12-packs. Our variety, our selection is much bigger."
Wawa officials have said the Chadds Ford store, one of the largest in the region, is the only location, at the moment, where they are planning to sell beer.
