By Jessie Burchette
Salisbury Post
The Rowan/Kannapolis Alcoholic Beverage Control Board has decided to hold off on giving more money to the county.
Instead, the three-member board agreed to increase the payments on nearly $400,000 the system owes.
During a meeting Monday evening, Chairman Marny Hendrick took note of increased sales and $100,000 in profits at the end of the last quarter. He also noted the system’s 9-percent profit margin in December.
Board members looked at several other issues, including paying back the money borrowed to make improvements at three stores in Kannapolis.
Responding to questions, Julie Eller, administrative assistant, said it will take forever to pay off the debt at the current $4,100 payment. She suggested doubling the payments and the board agreed.
General Manager Terry Osborne cited concerns that sales in the newest store, Renaissance Square, won’t increase as rapidly as expected.
A Lowes Foods store was scheduled to open in March in the development off N.C. 73 near the Cabarrus-Mecklenburg county line. But Osborne said he found out last week the opening has been delayed until June, which could mean several slow traffic months.
“It threw me for a loop,” he said.
Osborne told the board he has already adjusted staffing, temporarily making it a two-person store, instead of four.
Sales at the Renaissance Square store totaled $29,000 for December. Overall, sales systemwide for December topped $1 million, up more than $100,000 from December 2006.
The board agreed to continue evaluating the overall financial picture before making additional distributions to the county. In November, the board turned over $10,000 for distribution to the county and municipalities.
In other matters:
– A proposal to put computer recipe stations in the system’s seven stores didn’t get past “the Gus test.”
Hendrick said managers are often asked about what goes in mixed drinks. He said some stores now have a software package that serves up the recipe.
Hendrick couched his presentation, wondering whether it would “pass the Gus test.”
“It won’t” replied board member Gus Andrews. He said that most people who go into a liquor store know what they want to buy, they buy it and leave.
“People don’t retail shop in a liquor store,” he said.
Board member Ken Argo compared the recipe idea to the board’s ABC gift card and asked how that is doing.
Eller reported $2,700 in gift card sales in December.
Argo then turned to Osborne, asking if the managers have a lot of requests about how to make drinks. Osborne said they do not.
Customers will still have access to books and leaflets available at the stores.
– The board adopted an updated handbook for all employees. Most of the new sections dealing with vacation, bonuses, and other key issues have previously been adopted.
The revised handbook has been in the works for three years.
Hendrick described the handbook as “current, updated and legal,” noting that some policies in the old handbook dated to 1975.
Contact Jessie Burchette at 704-797-4254 or jburchette@salisburypost.com.