By John Lyon
Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK — Beer and wine are coming to Walmart’s store shelves in Mountain Home.
In a 5-0 vote, the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board today approved an application by Walmart Supercenter in Mountain Home for a permit to sell beer and “small-farm” wines, which come from wineries that produce 250,000 gallons or less of wine per year.
The board overturned ABC Director Michael Langley’s Aug. 20 decision to refuse the application. Langley refused the application because of opposition from area residents.
No public officials opposed the application.
Also Wednesday, Langley refused an application by Walmart for a permit to sell beer and wine at a store in Morrilton. Langley said he rejected the application because of opposition from local law enforcement officials.
Walmart can appeal the refusal to the ABC Board.
In October, Langley denied Walmart’s applications for beer and wine permits for three stores in Fayetteville. Hearings on Walmart’s appeals of those decisions are scheduled for Thursday.
In other business, the board voted 3-2 today to approve a private club license for Imajerk BBQ in Cedarville.
The Crawford County sheriff’s office opposed the application because of concerns that alcohol sales in the area, 16 miles from the sheriff’s office, would place a burden on law enforcement.
In a 4-0 vote, the board upheld Langley’s June 18 decision to deny a private club license to Puerto La Livertad in Rogers. The applicant, Antonio Hernandez, did not show up for the hearing.
Also a no-show was Dorothy Williams, who was seeking a beer permit for Barnes Street Cafe in El Dorado. The board voted 5-0 to uphold Langley’s Sept. 17 decision to reject the application.
The board voted 5-0 to uphold Langley’s July 16 decision denying a beer permit to I-30 Super Store in Little Rock. Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola opposed the application, citing concerns about the store’s proximity to a homeless shelter and a daycare center.
The board also approved the transfer of a 5 a.m. private club license to Jazzie’s of Little Rock but limited the club to a 3 a.m. closing time.
