Divided Austin Council Expands Wheatsville’s Alcohol Sales Waiver on South Lamar

By Rebecca Butler

Reporting Texas

A sharply divided Austin City Council on Thursday approved Wheatsville Food Co-op’s request to sell alcohol for on-site consumption despite its proximity to Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders.

Wheatsville, a community-owned natural foods retailer with two Austin stores, petitioned the council in August to waive the city’s ban on selling alcohol within 300 feet of a school, church or hospital for its store on South Lamar Boulevard. Over the objection of the Austin school board, the City Council approved Wheatsville’s waiver 6-5.

“I completely trust that Wheatsville will be a responsible steward of this waiver, and most importantly, it does help them maintain their economic competitiveness, host events and continue to exist and be an asset to the community,” City Council Member Chito Vela said.

Mayor Kirk Watson and four council members — Ryan Alter, Alison Alter, Vanessa Fuentes, and Mackenzie Kelly — opposed the waiver. None of the opponents discussed their reasons during Thursday’s meeting.

Bill Bickford, general manager of Wheatsville Food Co-op, told the council that the store does not have a bar and is not planning to open one. With approval of the waiver, the store plans to  allow customers to buy individual drinks through the store cashiers and then drink them in the store’s dining or patio areas.

The store said it needed the waiver to stay competitive with major chain grocery stores in the area, like H-E-B, Whole Foods and Central Market. The co-op wants to host more events, such as seeks to provide a variety and frequency of different events, such as trivia nights and live music.

The Austin school board submitted a letter opposing the waiver. It noted that its schools are already neighbors to alcohol-selling businesses that were grandfathered in when the 300-foot buffer rule was enacted by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission in 1977.

“Any new business wanting to sell alcohol knows the rules when they open,” the school board wrote to the council. “Too often, they bank on a waiver to increase their financial profits. However, this buffer zone model is not about financial profits. It is about the health and well-being of our children.”

Nicole Holt, chief executive officer of Texans for Safe and Drug-Free Youth, urged the council to reject the waiver, saying, “One in three of us have experienced or are experiencing negative impacts of alcohol in our home or in our family. These young people, in particular, need alcohol-free spaces in their community and models of people having fun and experiencing life without the influence of alcohol,”

Bickford said students from the Ann Richards School often come into their store for snacks before and after school. He said the students are easily identifiable because they have to dress in a uniform.  

The Austin City Council previously waived the minimum distance requirements for Wheatsville in 2013, allowing the store to sell alcohol for off-site consumption only. Bickford said the store has never had an issue related to the sale of alcohol. 

Seven other Wheatsville employees spoke at Thursday’s council meeting in support of the waiver.

Wheatsville employee Dan Junk said he was concerned that bigger businesses in Austin would soon overshadow yet another “Old Austin” staple and cited the example of the hamburger joint, Dan’s Hamburgers, opened by his grandfather more than 50 years ago. 

Growing up, Junk said he saw  how his grandfather’s business contributed to the culture of Austin, and he carries those lessons with him at Wheatsville.

“Granting this waiver will enable Wheatsville to continue enriching our community, much like my grandfather did with Dan’s Hamburgers over 50 years ago,” he said.