Restaurateurs fight PA wine boutiques plan

• From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- It could end up being a case of sour grapes for some Philadelphia restaurateurs.

A small but vocal group, mostly of Center City restaurant owners, is organizing against a Liquor Control Board plan to open wine boutiques in gourmet groceries.

Among other concerns, those in the group worry that the proposal will siphon off customers and give the high-end food shops -- selected by the LCB -- an unfair advantage.

"I feel like the state is trying to sell houses when they make tractor-trailers. It's not their job to play with the culinary landscape of an area," said Jason Evenchik, owner of Vintage Wine Bar & Bistro, 129 South 13th Street.

Evenchik has joined with the owners of more than 50 establishments, most in Philadelphia, who have formed Restaurants for Fair Competition. They are asking the state Senate to derail the plan. The House has approved the legislation.

[Go here for the full story.]

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