The Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Board approved liquor permits for two Fayetteville Walmart stores and denied an application for another store yesterday.
Walmart Neighborhood Market on Crossover was approved by a vote of 3-1 while the Walmart Supercenter on Mall Avenue was unanimously approved.
The Walmart Supercenter on MLK (formerly 6th St.) was denied on its application.
ABC director Michael Langley said that the board denied the MLK Walmart permit based on availability, traffic and crime concerns.
“The board felt that there are plenty of available outlets in that area. Also, there were concerns over traffic and the crime rate near the MLK store,” Langley said.
The stores approved will be permitted to sell beer and small-farm wines, which come from wineries that produce less than 250,000 gallons a year.
According to walmartcommunity.com, there are currently 35 Walmart and Sam’s Club locations in Arkansas that sell beer and wine.
The Target store in Fayetteville has also applied to sell retail beer and that decision will come sometime in January. It is uncertain whether or not the Walmart decision would affect the application for Target Stores.
“I won’t know until we get up there and get into it,” said Langley. “We consider these (applications) on a case by case basis.”
