'They want the whole pie': Report of second proposed Total Wine location concerns local family-owned stores

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — With a report circulating that Total Wine & More is attempting to open a second location in the Oklahoma City metro, despite being denied a license to operate its first planned location, causing some local liquor store owners to be concerned with what this may mean for the future of their industry in Oklahoma.

Earlier this week, OKC Talk reported national big box liquor chain Total Wine & More plans to open a location in a former Circuit City store near Northwest Expressway and Lake Hefner Parkway.

In April, News 4 reported Total Wine & More had applied for a retail liquor license to open a location inside a former Bed Bath & Beyond in Moore. That location would be the retailer’s first in Oklahoma.

However, Oklahoma’s Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Enforcement (ABLE) Commission denied Total Wine’s license application for the Moore location, citing a clause in Oklahoma’s constitution that bans companies and LLCs from obtaining permits.

Instead, the constitution only allows sole proprietors or limited partnerships, a.k.a ‘mom and pop’ stores, to obtain liquor licenses.

“Everyone has to follow the law and the rules,” ABLE Commission Assistant Director, Lori Carter, told News 4 earlier this year.

Total Wine appealed the ABLE commission’s decision to deny their license.

That appeals process is still ongoing.

News 4 reached out to Total Wine on Wednesday to confirm the company’s plans to open the Northwest Expressway location, and also to ask why they’re planning a second location when they haven’t been able to even get the first one approved.

Nobody responded.

News 4 reached out to the able commission.

A spokesperson said, so far, Total Wine has not applied for a license at the Northwest Expressway location.

They also said, if Total Wine does apply for a license in the future, the same legal principles they applied for Total Wine’s proposed Moore location, would also apply for the Norwest Expressway location.  

The news that Total Wine may still be attempting to expand its Oklahoma footprint, despite its denial from the ABLE commission, has some longtime local liquor store owners concerned.

“September 1, 1959 was the first day of no prohibition in the state of Oklahoma, and my dad opened up his first liquor store that day at 10 a.m.,” said Brenda Wilson, whose family owns and operates Pancho’s Liqour Town near Northwest Expressway and Meridian in Oklahoma City.

If you ask Wilson, she’ll tell you—in her eyes—Pancho’s is a historic Oklahoma City landmark.

“I'll give you a kind of a perspective, our license number is 106,” she said.

Since the day she turned 21, she’s spent just about every waking hour at the family business.

“July was 50 years for me,” Wilson said. “It is my whole life.”

Things haven’t always been easy.

“I'm not so sure it's thriving like it used to either,” she said.

Laws changed a few years ago, allowing grocery and convenience stores to sell beer and wine.

“Now we're competing with every 7-Eleven, every OnCue, every Casey’s, every grocery store, you name it,” Wilson said.

Wilson says, its not surprising Total Wine is trying to enter the Oklahoma market even though the ABLE commission says that the state’s constitution currently doesn’t allow them.

Total Wine has won legal fights in other states it attempted to open stores, including Tennessee, where the state updated its laws governing liquor stores.

“Tennessee was dry,” Wilson said. “Most of Tennessee didn't have liquor stores before Total Wine.”

Wilson thinks Total Wine could be playing the long game, banking on that happening in Oklahoma.

“They want they want everything,” she said. “They want the whole pie.”

She says, if that happens, it would be a death sentence for her family business.

“Probably put us out of business because we can't compete with that kind of money and their profits aren't going to stay in Oklahoma,” Wilson said. “My profits stay here. I raised my kids here. I'm raising my grandkids here. My tax dollars stay here. I use my what money I personally get to buy my groceries, my gas, my house payments, my insurance. They don't.”