Future Amazon Fresh store in Citrus Heights to feature alcohol tasting area

By Sara Beth Williams–
The Citrus Heights City Council on Wednesday voted unanimously to approve a letter allowing for the issuance of an alcohol license to an incoming Amazon Fresh grocery store, to be located in the Sunrise Village shopping center.

At an Aug. 14 City Council meeting, the council voted unanimously to approve both a general off-sale and an instructional tastings alcoholic beverage license for the grocery store. No comments were provided during an open public hearing.

On July 15, Amazon Fresh submitted a Letter of Public Convenience and Necessity for Type 21, off-sale general, and Type 86, instructional tasting, Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) licenses for review. A Letter of Public Convenience and Necessity (PCN) is required when a business applies for certain types of alcohol licenses in areas where the number of existing licenses exceeds a state-determined threshold. Alcoholic Beverage Control will only issue licenses previously approved by a local jurisdiction, the Planning Division said.

The request for an alcohol license has been reviewed by the Citrus Heights Police Department, the city said, as well as by the Sunrise MarkePlace Board of Directors. Sunrise MarketPlace submitted a letter of support to the city in which Executive Director Kathilynn Carpenter “highly encourages” the council to allow alcohol sales and tastings at the future store, noting that tastings will provide an “experiential” aspect not seen at other alcohol retailers in town.

According to a submitted letter by Amazon Fresh, the company is seeking to operate a “full-service grocery store” at 5425 Sunrise Blvd. with operating hours from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., featuring a “wide variety of national brands and high-quality produce, meat, and seafood.” The grocer will also sell beer, wine, and spirits and provide “limited alcohol instructional tastings” in a designated alcohol sampling area. Tastings will be small samples and be offered by trained beverage suppliers or employees to customers 21 years and older, in accordance with Alcoholic Beverage Control regulations.

According to the agenda packet, Amazon Fresh will operate in the same vicinity where nine other locations already operate with alcoholic beverage licenses. After review, the city determined that three establishments with alcohol licenses are within a 1,000-foot radius of the new grocer, including another grocery store, a convenience store, and a liquor store. Mr. Liquor operates in the same shopping center as the future grocer.

An opening date for the store has not been announced.