Business & Tech

Country Farms Convenience Told Alcohol Sales May Not 'Mix' At Shop

Country Farms wants to add a beer and wine license. Selectmen were skeptical.

A convenience store in Hopkinton drew a chilly reaction from selectmen on its request to sell alcohol.

The Country Farms store also is home to a Subway shop. And it is popular with teens and kids looking for snacks in the afternoon, selectmen noted.

Mike and Hina Patel own the store, at 3 Cedar St. They want to sell beer and wine, in addition to the convenience foods.

Police Chief Charles Wallace said they had had no license issues for the past five years, when they bought the shop. The take-out beer and wine license is available in Hopkinton, said Rosemary Bosselait, the Patels attorney, and she noted that sales would not be allowed on Sundays.

But town selectmen said they did not like the positioning of the alcohol, according to the store layout provided to the board, or they argued the store would be devoting too much of its shelving to the alcoholic beverages.

"Based upon the floor plan, the store is turning into a de-facto liquor store," said Selectman Benjamin Palleiko.

The Patels will re-configure the layout and come back to the board at a later date.

But three of the five members on Tuesday said they had concerns about either the size of the store or the mix of alcohol sales and take-out sandwiches. "... To me [it's] a bad mix," said chairman John Mosher.

And the board also took comments from two neighbors, both of whom opposed the sales. One cited the tight parking at the lot. Another said two other shops sell alcohol in that immediate area: Colella's Supermarket and Old Town Liquors.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here