Sunday liquor sales start in Colorado

MONTROSE  — Sunday was the first day for liquor stores to begin staying open on Sundays. Though it was convenient for customers, some store owners don’t appreciate the new law.

“When it passed, my first thought was, there goes my only day off,” said Ida Guara, owner of Bootlegger.

Colorado is the 35th state to reform the sales restriction, which dates back to Prohibition.

“As things change, you have to change with the times,” Guara said.

Guara decided to stay open. She is working most of the shift herself. If she could have voted on Senate Bill 82, which eliminated the prohibition against Sunday sales, she would have voted “no,” she said.

Other liquor store owners were manning their stations with grim faces Sunday as well.

“It sucks,” said Travis Towers, owner of House of Spirits. “If they weren’t smart enough to buy on Saturday, then they probably don’t need it on Sunday,” he said.

Towers added two extra employees to his family-run business to cover the hours. Though he was there Sunday, he hopes to take the day off down the road.

Randy Hedrick, owner of Drive-In Liquors, is not as lucky. He is picking up the extra hours himself.

“It’s a waste of time and an increase in overhead,” Hedrick said. He added that he wouldn’t have voted for the bill.

“I bet the guy who voted for it doesn’t have to work seven days a week,” he said.

However, the lifted restriction doesn’t mean businesses have to be open. Despite the new law, some liquor stores in Montrose were dark.

So why did some businesses decide to open their doors?

“Because it’s going to hurt Saturday sales and to balance it out you got to be open on Sunday,” Towers said.

Guara said she didn’t want to disappoint her customers.

“A lot of customers were hyped up about it,” she said.

Most owners said beer and liquor sales were steady Sunday.

“It’s convenient for me,” said customer Billie Jones. It’s common for Jones to stock up for the weekend, making sure there’s beer in the refrigerator for Sunday, she said. However, there have been a few times she’s had to pick up “3.2 beer” at the grocery store.

Currently, grocery and convenience stores are only allowed to sell beer that is 3.2 percent alcohol. The two locations were the only place to pick up beer on Sundays in Colorado.

During the same time S.B. 82 was making its way to the governor’s desk, Senate Bill 149 was dying.

S.B. 149 would have allowed the sale of liquor in grocery stores.

Though owners were not thrilled Sunday, many see a slightly brighter future.

“It will be fine when football season starts,” Hedrick said.