Milk? check. Bread? check. Eggs? check. Six pack of Sleeman? check.
The Metro supermarket on Stone Road became the first grocery store in Guelph to start selling beer Wednesday afternoon as part of the province's loosening of restrictions on alcohol sales that will see up to 450 grocery stores selling beer in the coming years.
The pilot project sees 60 grocery stores now selling beer across the province. By the fall the province will licence 70 grocery stores to allow them to sell wine as well.
Currently Metro has a separate vendor selling wine in a kiosk.
"It's a little early to tell how it's going, we only just started," said Mark Bernhardt, communications specialist with Metro Ontario.
Metro has six locations at either Metro or Food Basics stores so far.
"We plan on offering beer long-term at that location ... Moving forward we will assess it on a case-by-case base. Where it makes sense," Bernhardt said.
At the Metro in Guelph there is a pretty decent selection of six packs and single cans available, including some craft beer and imports. The province has dictated that 20 per cent of the shelf space in the beer section has to go to small breweries.
"It's pretty standard in terms of popular brands and what we're able to purchase," Bernhardt said.
The beer is located in an isolated section of the store and anyone purchasing it must go through a particular check out where the cashier is Smart Serve trained.
The prices are identical to the LCBO and beer store.
"It's about time," said customer Don Graham outside as he headed into the store.
Graham didn't plan on buying any beer Thursday, but said he liked the idea of being able to in the future.
"Maybe soon we can get it in corner stores too like the States," Graham said.
Metro customer Rhonda MacIntyre said it's about convenience.
"I'm sure they have it all figured out so that it won't be sold to anyone it shouldn't," she said. "It's just nice for people who want it to be able to buy some without having to make a separate stop at the beer store."
