The State Could Make Millions From Allowing Beer and Wine Sales at Outdoor Concession Stands
As California continues to suffer financially from a budget crisis, one solution to adding revenue is as clear as its blue skies: Allow concession stands at state beaches to sell beer and wine.
Do this and, if the residents vote to legalize medical marijuana (which they nearly did in 2010), then these so-called vices will completely remove the economic vice-grip on the state’s economy.
Concession operators at state beaches and parks pay California as much as 15% of their gross revenue. In the fiscal year that ended in June 2010, that amounted to $88 million from 54 stands. Now, imagine the financial windfall if beer and wine were added to the mix.
Millions of people go to the beaches every year, and on nice days many of them would welcome the opportunity to sit at a shack and have a couple of cold ones.
Many of these bring their own in coolers, anyway (which is not legal but it’s also not problem so it’s rarely enforced), so why not have the state profit from this simplest of all desires?
As it stands now, the concession stands on the beaches are hardly a thought for people on the sand. There are too few of them and their offerings are hardly mouth-watering items (burgers, dogs and fries).
But that’s not all – the state should actually build more concession stands with a focus on serving beer and wine.
That’s right, bars on the beach!
One prime example of a location is a small bluff overlooking the ocean in El Segundo. If the state were to build a small cantina serving a small menu of Mexican food – tacos, burritos, quesadillas, chips and salsa – along with beer and margaritas and set out a dozen tables on the hill, it would be like opening up a money printing press.
Hundreds of people utilize the bike path and go right by there every weekend. There’s plenty of space, tons of parking and tons of potential customers.
People who utilize the Strand have few concession choices in that area. There’s one stand a half-mile to the north of this location and one on 42nd Street in El Porto (part of Manhattan State Beach) and that’s it for some 15 miles.
And before you blow off this idea thinking “this will lead to a bunch of drunks and wild parties on the beach,” that’s not what would happen at all. People would utilize the concession stands for sitting at the sand and having a couple of brews or a glass of wine at sunset, then get on with their business. If they want to party, there’s bars in the beach cities where they can cut loose.
For anyone who gets out of hand, lifeguard stands are close to the concessions and local police are only a couple of minutes away if needed.
The program should also be implemented for state parks.
The great outdoors is the state’s #1 asst, and the entire state is on the coast. California’s voters and legislators should get smart and start utilizing its resources.
Anonymous says
Spot on with this write-up.