Minnesotans who forgot to plan ahead this week got a welcome surprise when Surdyk’s Liquor Store, the iconic wine, spirits and cheese shop in Northeast Minneapolis opened for an unprecedented Sunday sale March 12, far ahead of the state’s planned seven dale sale expansion.
Up until recently, Minnesota was one of only a handful of states that continued to ban liquor sales stronger than a 3.2 % alcohol content on the seventh day of the week. After a years long campaign to sway lawmakers and store owners, Minnesota’s House and Senate passed a measure to allow liquor stores to determine their own hours on February 27. The catch is that the new sales hours weren’t set to begin until July 2nd of 2017.
This Sunday, the Surdyk’s family decided to embrace the new world and their thirsty customers by opening their doors.
According to a report in the Star Tribune, Jim Surdyk received a call from an unnamed city official around noon Sunday, advising him to close and wait until July 2. However, the business owner argued that this was an idea that people have been waiting for and why send tax dollars and sales across the border into Wisconsin?
He also said it wasn’t easy to staff the store for the day, but thinks that will ease as people get used to the new schedule.
As of right now, Surdyk’s is open for business. Whether other stores will follow suit or if the city will step in remains to be seen. We will follow this story as it develops.