Residents in Tarrant County are getting an influx of new neighbors in the form of liquor stores.
Nearly ten have opened in the past year since voters gave the go-ahead to allow the sale of the spirits. The affected precinct includes part of North Fort Worth, Haltom City, North Richland Hills, Hurst and Watauga.
"People like them. I guess they use them enough for them to build them,” Augie Podsednik of Fort Worth said. “Everything is good for the economy, I guess.”
Many of the stores have opened on a stretch of North Beach Street near Basswood Boulevard. In most cases they are added to already existing shopping centers; anchored by grocery stores and restaurants with one across the street from a church.
"Sounds like overkill to me, but I guess if they are making money they will take them anywhere where people will buy it," Podsednik said.
According to the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission, in the month of May Texans consumed 3.2 million gallons of distilled spirits, 4.5 million gallons of wine and 42.8 million gallons of beer.
