Alcohol Ban in San Marcos Worries Local Businesses

San Marcos' Alcohol Ban is set to be reviewed for the second time at the April 17th City Council meeting, the University Star reports. If it passes, alcohol will be illegal in all San Marcos parks.  It also restricts plastic foam cups, tobacco and personal barbecue pits.  If the ordinance passes, many local business owners are afraid for their bottom line.

Naveed Mohammed, who owns the Korner Stop Food Mart by Sewell Park, says that most of his sales come from alcohol and a ban may cause visitors to go to other towns during the summer.  He is thinking about changing what products his store carries and how much alcohol he stocks if the ban causes his alcohol profits to go down. 

Dora Rizk, who owns Herbert's Grocery, is also against the ban because 70 percent of her revenue comes from alcohol and cigarettes.  She, along with the owners of The Yellow Store, Shell Food Mart, and Cafe' on the Square, have all signed a petition to keep the new ordinance from passing.  The petition was started by Monica De La Rosa, a resident of San Marcos, and already has 600 supporters on a Facebook page she started.

Supporters of the ban, like City councilmember Kim Porterfield, thinks the ban will increase the rate of tourism in San Marcos and pointed to the 1968 Galveston alcohol ban which she said didn't affect sales of alcohol.  She says she and other ban-supporters on the council still want people to come to the river and have fun, but just sober and referred to the new ordinance as a "curtailment, not a ban."

However you feel about the ban, if you're looking for a new apartment in which to sip or teetotal your alcohol, contact Apartment Experts San Marcos today for help in finding the perfect environment for you!

photo by Jurvetson (flickr)