Pictured (left to right): Senator Bo Watson, Representative Joanne Favors, Representative Patsy Hazlewood, and Mickey Blazer, Food City executive vice president operations, Knoxville division
Food City announced the first day of wine sales in Tennessee grocery stores on Friday.
“For years, countless Tennesseans have sought the same opportunity afforded their Virginia and Georgia friends and neighbors, to purchase wine from their local supermarket. For the past eight years, legislators and retailers across the state have worked diligently to bring their plea to fruition – and today, we celebrate that victory alongside our loyal customers,” said Food City President and Chief Executive Officer Steven C.
Smith.
Mr. Smith helped spearhead the Red White and Food campaign launched by Tennessee Grocers and Convenience Store Association over seven years ago, in support of a series of bills sponsored by Senator Bill Ketron, Representative Jon Lundberg and Knoxville Representative Ryan Haynes.
Per Tennessee state law, the 69 of Food City’s 84 Tennessee supermarket locations licensed to sell wine began sales at 8 a.m. Friday morning. Wine sales are permitted from 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday through Saturday (with the exception of certain holidays).
“I would like to thank our legislators, in particular Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey and Representative Jon Lundberg who led this effort, as well as my fellow retailers and the hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans who took the time to sign their local petition and cast their vote in the November elections to make this long-awaited day possible,” said Mr. Smith.
The wine in retail food stores referendum passed in all of the 78 eligible locations where it appeared on the ballot in the November Tennessee elections. Among those municipalities were Chattanooga, Knoxville, Bristol, Johnson City and Kingsport.