Indiana law prohibits sales of cold beer at gas stations. But Jay Ricker, own of a C-store chain,thought he found a loophole: He converted two to full-fledged restaurants with gas stations. Restaurants can sell cold beer for takeout.
He ran the idea past the state Alcohol & Tobacco Commission, and was told the agency didn’t have a problem with it.
Then Indiana lawmakers got wind of it, and are trying to plug the loophole, by, among other things changing the definition of a restaurant. But that would have imperiled legitimate restaurants. So a House committee voted 9-4 to freeze those permits, while also grandfathering Ricker’s two restaurant locations, and to create a commission to study reform of Indiana’s liquor laws.