LETTER: Shame on South Strabane supervisors
Shame on South Strabane supervisors
The South Strabane Township Board of Supervisors last week declined a request for a liquor license transfer so Cracker Barrel Restaurant could offer some alcohol choices to their guests. In their infinite wisdom, the votes were cast against it by supervisors, who stated that there were only three family restaurants in South Strabane and that maybe Cracker Barrels customers would not want them to serve alcohol. One supervisor stated that he liked Cracker Barrel, and if they had a liquor license he probably would not go there, so he and his colleagues decided for the company.
How appalling that government has that power and overreach without expertise. Basically, three men with personal opinions of what a family restaurant should be thwarted the attempt of a well-run company like Cracker Barrel not to be able to take a chance on what it believes will strengthen its market position.
Cracker Barrel has been a good neighbor in South Strabane for over 20 years, paying property taxes, school taxes, mercantile taxes, employing folks and getting local tax on employees and so much more.
It’s up to Cracker Barrel to decide what is good for their customers and not the board of supervisors. How dare they have this much power with so little understanding of what a family restaurant is and how dare they assume families don’t go where alcohol is served.
I guess all of South Strabane has to live with the supervisors’ definition of a family restaurant. I did not know that families did not go to Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Friday’s, Walnut Grill, Applebee’s, Plaza Azteca, Fusion, Texas Roadhouse, Longhorn and other restaurants because they served liquor and beer. Shame on the board of supervisors. It’s just plain scary they have this much power based on their personal choices and opinions instead of sticking to oversight in the traditional manners expected concerning zoning, licensing, traffic and other logistics.
It should not be their concern if someone wants a Bloody Mary with their eggs or a Mimosa with some French toast. It should be left to Cracker Barrel, its customers and the free market to decide.
Michael Passalacqua
South Strabane Township{&end}