The former Jot’em Down store on North Barbee Road has a new owner and name and soon will be able to sell beer and wine.
A new beer and wine grocery store dealer license for Wake N Lake LLC, 3774 N. Barbee Road, Warsaw, was before the Kosciusko County Alcohol and Tobacco Commission Thursday.
Sole owner Nicole Poucher told the commission her business is a lake store that sells groceries, convenient items and souvenirs and she hopes to also offer beer and wine.
Commission member and excise officer April Tackett said the beer and wine grocery permit is for “warm” sales only. “You can chill wine but not beer,” she said. “With this, are you aware of the definition of grocery store and how much you can sell and can’t sell and to keep your food figures all separate from the alcohol?”
Poucher said she was aware.
Commission member Alan Alderfer asked if everyone who sells alcohol at the grocery store has to be at least 21 years old or 18.
To scan the alcohol, Tackett said she believed it was 19. Poucher agreed it was 19, but she was the only person who works at the store unless the former owner fills in for her.
Alderfer asked Poucher if she didn’t have underage kids that work there then. Poucher said no, but her daughters will be there but she will always be there. If for some reason Poucher has to run home for an emergency or something, she said her daughters will not be allowed to sell the alcohol.
“If there is somebody that is not 19, they can still work there, but they just can’t scan (the alcohol). And even if you’re 19, you would also still have to have someone that is 21 there to supervise it,” Tackett explained.
Alderfer asked Poucher if she’s been involved before with a place that sold alcohol. Poucher said she bartended years ago, but was not involved in carryout.
Poucher has owned the business since Oct. 23. “We just opened the doors the weekend before Thanksgiving,” she stated.
Alderfer made the motion to approve the license, and Commission member Dan Woods seconded it. It was approved 4-0.
Tackett said the board’s approval was a recommendation to the state commission to approve the license. Since there were no remonstrators, Tackett said there was no reason for the state not to approve the license. The state commission meets the first and third Tuesday of the month.
Two permit renewals also were before the board Thursday without any violations. Both were unanimously recommended to be approved.
The first was a beer, wine and liquor restaurant license for RMH Franchise Corp., doing business as Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill, 2621 E. Center St., Warsaw.
The second was a beer and wine dealer grocery store license for Deli Mart LLC, doing business as United Deli, 7487 E. Old 30, Pierceton.