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In order to qualify for a liquor license they have to have 85% food. This has come to mean that they go to Giant or Safeway and buy a bunch of junk and fill shelves covering 85% of their floor space with it. They don't care if it sells. In fact it's a nuisance if it sells and they have to go back to Giant and buy more junk to cover their shelves with.

Almost all of the revenue comes from sales of beer and wine. Usually MD 20-20 or other brands with high alcohol and low price. Often the controversy with neighbors is when they sell or give away plastic cups so that the customers can drink right away in public.

The second most important source of revenue is selling crack pipes and chemically-treated "spice" to be smoked in place of pot. The crack pipes are sold as "vases" (with a tiny flower in them) or "pens" (with a pen refill in them). Some of the "spices" are benign but many have serious chemical treatments that cause injuries. My own (personal) experience is that spice is much more dangerous than pot. Yet another bad consequence of marijuana prohibition.

Sexual potency enhancers are also pushed with pretty graphic displays of genitalia on the packages.

Crack pipes usually aren't on display but behind the counter. Sometimes spice is also but often it's taped to the plexiglass shield showing the brands they carry.

The customers are not the sort people appreciate congregating in front of their homes next door.

I guess this isn't an accurate description of Broadbent Market in Chevy Chase, huh.

There were many corner stores in our neighborhood that had been grandfathered in before 1958. Before supermarkets corner stores were where people shopped. Thankfully we got rid of them and now you have to go over a mile to buy a crack pipe and cheap wine is harder to find. I realize this is an inconvenience to many. We planned it that way.

I don't know if anyone from OP is from DC, but their pushing for more corner stores is a delight.

by Tom Coumaris on May 9, 2012 12:12 pm • link • report