Court: Store must allow beer drinking

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 16 (UPI) -- The Pennsylvania Supreme Court says stores and restaurants with licenses allowing beer to be consumed on the premises cannot limit sales to take out.

The court ruled 5-1 Monday against a Sheetz convenience store in Altoona, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported. Louis Sheetz, the chain's executive vice president for marketing, said he was surprised by the ruling and does not understand the court's reasoning.

"We are certainly not the first, and we certainly won't be the last restaurant to sell six-packs," he said. "The only possible difference is that they serve beer on the premises, and we do not."

Giant Eagle, a chain that has cafe areas inside its stores, has applied for beer licenses for seven stores in western Pennsylvania. Dick Roberts, Giant Eagle spokesman, said the chain is studying the court ruling, because it had planned to sell beer only for off-premises drinking.