Comments on: Let's Have Fun, Shall We?

By: Anaika

Anaika — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 11:05:58 +0000

How many children go to bed hnrugy in Edmond every night. There was a piece on TV this evening about children and poverty. Sometimes it hits close to home, especially with the recession. Some schools are filling kids backpacks with snacks for the weekend, because they know they will go without otherwise. Has our church ever thought about a volunteer project we could do like that? Fill backpacks for kids for the weekends, right in our own neighborhood? I wonder if we could work with a school and find out what kids need that kind of help. Just an idea.

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By: ThePlainsman

ThePlainsman — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:59:26 +0000

You know what’s more of a mystery than our refusal to change some of these early statehood laws? All these free-market believers who decry WalMart’s dominance. IF the local stores offered a superior product (via service, price, and/or selection), they would dominate. Instead Walmart is the one who has opened innovative, clean grocery stores where there was opportunity. It is what it is. But I would agree with removing any restriction for growth that *may* exist currently for the local boys. I’m more of the mind that WF hasn’t located in OKC for other unknown reasons. Doug is right though, HEB is a far better store!

By: Jill

Jill — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:55:12 +0000

I agree, Phillip. At this point in time, downtown needs a mom and pop type grocery store or a small gourmet grocery store. Most of the people living downtown are young adults, with a few empty nesters thrown in. Young adults frequently don’t do a lot of cooking, and don’t need massive amounts of staples. Empty nesters may cook more but again, they need nothing in large quantities. If we ever have 10,000 to 30,000 people living downtown, we won’t have to offer Homeland a deal. They’ll be more than happy to put in a store.

And we’ve got a convenient store on Broadway, if we want to purchase wine.

By: Philip

Philip — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:15:16 +0000

It’s funny how people want to blame the wine laws on Whole Foods not locating in OKC when they operate in other markets that don’t allow wine sales in grocery stores. Are the liquor laws in such liberal havens as Boston and NYC backwards?

Walmart dominating the grocery business in Oklahoma with over 60% market share, is more probably the reason.

If WF were to come to OKC, it most certainly would not be located downtown. The demographics simply don’t justify it.
The city offered Homeland a Bass Pro type deal to put a store in downtown and Homeland turned them down…

By: Terry

Terry — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:24:59 +0000

While I support the concept of selling wine in markets/grocery stores, the ban of such isn’t the reason OKC doesn’t have high profile stores, ie: Whole Foods or HEB. Those chains, as has been mentioned, are in other markets with the same prohibition.

The reason, I think, such chains aren’t in this market is more a case of old fashioned business and numbers. A given market has only so much available footage for a use like grocery stores. And in OKC, WalMart seemingly has that market cornered, with all the Super Centers, Neighborhood Markets and Sam’s Clubs. (BTW…wine is sold in all of these stores in markets where the laws allow it). They drive the price of groceries here. Then, add in the other stores (Homeland, Crest) and there isn’t a lot of room left.

Whole Foods offers a different product than the basic grocery store, and I believe there is room here for them. In fact, I think the area could support 3 stores (OKC-Western Avenue location; far south OKC/Moore/north Norman; and Edmond. Sorry, not downtown).

Not selling wine in the stores isn’t the reason they’re not here, but — it doesn’t help.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:03:56 +0000

Lots of Matts here.

The wine we have available in our locally owned liquor stores is infinitely better in terms of quality than anything I have seen at the BigBoxers in Texas. Sure, we have the crap stuff too but the liquor stores are unmatched when it comes to what they can offer. See Cellar, Broadway Wine Merchants, Park Hill, Cache Road W&L, etc. Why all the fuss? Should we really be wasting our time on this? More importantly, in these trying times, is this really the best way to occupy our already preoccupied legislators?

Many WFs and CMs are operating in states with laws similar or even worse than our own. Its not a question of wine when it comes to these stores, it is money.

By: Doug Loudenback

Doug Loudenback — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:51:47 +0000

Heck, one does not even have to get one’s tongue all bent out of shape by saying, if possible, the words “Sally Kern” to answer the question, “Why don’t we sell wine in liquor stores.” Religious conservatism doesn’t have to reach that low. As another poster said, many good conservative Christians participated in campaigns not to open up places like Remington Park but didn’t hesitate to trek off to Las Vegas. I don’t know many rich folk. Most of my Southern Baptist friends (and I don’t mean that facetiously) who put up “Vote No” signs in their yards merely got in their cars and drove to Ft. Smith … a lot closer and cheaper than Las Vegas!

But, when all is said and done, Oklahoman’s do have a responsibility to put their foot down at some line in the sand … A few race tracks and a heck of a lot of casinos are as far as we are likely to see this state go. At least for now. Too bad.

One only has to drive south (probably any other direction … I don’t get around much) and go to one of the great HEB groceries in Texas and buy some wine. Personally, I care less about Whole Foods (seems like an ego trip to me) than I do general groceries (like HEB) with a lot more choices. But, that’s just me.

Looks like you caught a lot of fish with this one, my friend Steve!

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:30:43 +0000

I think Steve has mentioned that Whole Foods is in Tulsa. I do believe that Tulsa is a part of this state, so therefore, they have the same liquor laws. What gives?

You are right about the lobbying, but I don’t understand why that would happen…but lobby groups don’t always make sense. If I bought a bottle of liquor from either place, in any situation, the liquor doesn’t become stronger because it is in a whole foods. Nor do I want to drink and drive more because it is Whole Foods. Surely they won’t try to make that argument.

By: Grant

Grant — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:27:37 +0000

Go, Steve! I lived in Richmond, VA for 10 years and they had a Whole Foods and a Trader Joes. If THEY can get and support one, then OKC SURELY ought to be able to. We just have to change to law to allow wine sales at grocery stores. Seems common sense to me.