The managers of a wine shop in the Whole Foods Market at the Time Warner Center say they’re confident they’ll be cleared of charges of misrepresenting the operation when they applied for a liquor license.
The Wine Store, housed in the market in the cellar of the Columbus Circle complex, is accused of violating state law by selling wine out of a grocery and misrepresenting its operations on its license application, the State Liquor Authority has accused.
“We went through all the proper channels, and documentation was given in order to obtain the license,” said Christina Minardi, a regional VP for Whole Foods, which owns the wine shop. “We have a hearing and we’re looking forward to it.”
The store will remain open while the case is being settled.
The SLA called the business “the functional equivalent of one of the departments of the retail grocery store,” something that is not allowed in New York state.
The store – which can be accessed only through the supermarket – is required under state law to have a separate entrance.
The authority charged that the owner, “either by inadvertence or design,” made misrepresentations about the “physical configuration of the then-proposed license premises” during the application process.