City may extend Sunday liquor store hours

Sunday hours for Wilmington liquor stores could be extended if the City Council passes new legislation.

An ordinance being considered would allow stores that sell alcohol to open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays during October, November and December. For the remaining months of the year, stores could sell alcohol on Sundays from noon until 5 p.m.

Currently, Wilmington liquor vendor hours are limited from noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays, said Councilman Charles "Bud" Freel, who introduced the legislation.

Ty Miller, a manager at Favors Liquor on North Walnut Street, said he has mixed feelings about earlier hours.

"For a business owner, it's great for money, but people need a day of peace," he said. "With the stores opening early, it affects people going to church. More people find themselves in the store.... One day of the week, you've got to give someone a break. This alcohol is nothing to play with."

A state law passed in 2015 allowed liquor stores to open at 8 a.m., instead of 9 a.m., on Fridays and Saturdays during the months of October, November and December to accommodate the holiday season. It also allowed the stores to open at 10 a.m. on Sundays, instead of noon, during those months.

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After the state law passed, Wilmington officials created a city law that mandated the noon to 4 p.m. rule for Sundays, Freel said. After hearing from liquor store owners though, he said the city should reconsider.

"They explained to me they were losing business to county stores during that time," the District 8 councilman said. "People are not going to wait for them to be open. I thought it was a reasonable suggestion."

Freel said if the ordinance is approved by the City Council and the mayor, the new hours could go into effect as soon as November.

Contact Christina Jedra at cjedra@delawareonline.com, (302) 324-2837 or on Twitter @ChristinaJedra.