Novato Safeway Loses Liquor License After Getting Caught Selling Booze To Minors

NOVATO (KPIX) - A Safeway store in Novato has lost its liquor license after getting caught selling alcohol to minors twice in the past year.

Inside the store, cases of water, juice and chips now stock the shelves where bottles of wine, beer and hard liquor once filled the aisles.

According to the Novato police department, the Safeway on Nave Drive got caught for selling alcohol to minors twice in the last year. Police say minor decoys walked in, showed their identification, but still walked out with the alcohol.

According to Alcohol and Beverage Control the store violated similar offenses in 2014 and 2016.

"We are actually required to go to all the different merchants," said Sgt. Chris Andres of the Novato Police Department. "Now, this store won't be able to sell alcohol for the next 2 months."

Safeway released this statement saying, "In compliance with an order from the California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control, the Nave Drive store in Novato has suspended sales of alcoholic beverages, including a limited number of Kombucha products, until December 17."

When the SafewAy does get it's liquor license back, the store will be placed on probation for 3 years.

"Our agency will be monitoring," said Andres. "We want them to succeed but make sure they're not selling alcohol to minors."

To help them succeed the police department, along with Alcohol Beverage Control hold classes to help merchants streamline their policies.

Shoppers say they welcome strict measures to make sure alcohol is only sold to those over 21.

"I think they should card everybody," said shopper Kathleen Zemansky. "It should just be the new norm."

Shopper Chris Harris added, "Management needs to train and checking IDs."