The Sanchez Market on Bunker Hill Street has petitioned to upgrade its beer and wine sales license to a full alcohol package store license, holding an abutters meeting on the issue last Thursday, Aug. 29.
Angel Acosta, who also owns the abutting restaurant, said he is looking to expand his offerings for his clientele and enhance his business.
“It’s really to help the business and I’m here seven days a week,” he said, noting he has been in business 15 years. “I have four kids and life is expensive. I need to get something little by little. I had the beer and wine and I want to upgrade to liquor to help the business.”
Attorney Scott Holmes said they will not sell nip liquor bottles, and that his client has not had any problems associated with his beer and wine sales. He also said they will be at the Charlestown Neighborhood Council on Oct. 1 and they hope to be at the License Board for a hearing in October.
“I think people would rather have someone responsible like him operate something like this than someone who is not,” he said. “Plus, it’s a different clientele. Almost 80 percent of his customer base is Spanish-speaking.”
He plans to use about half of the existing store for the liquor, beer and wine selections.
At the abutters meeting, about eight to 10 people showed up with concerns.
Chief among them was the fact there are already several liquor stores on the stretch, and that they are all in close proximity to the Harvard-Kent School.
Sanchez Market, at 156-164 Bunker Hill St., is about three blocks from the school.
The Charlestown Coalition said its Board had discussed the matter and whether it intended to take a position on the request, specifically because it is another liquor store abutting the Bunker Hill Development.
However, they said they plan to gather information at the CNC before making any decisions.