Despite fears of swerving cars on every road and skyrocketing crime rates, Lubbock residents voted May 9, 2009, to legalize the sale of alcohol within the city.

Beer and wine slowly dripped into corner stores and the familiar neon lights of liquor store signs faded as businesses abandoned the alcohol safe haven of the Vegas-like Strip on U.S. 87.

But other than the ability to pick up a six-pack while grocery shopping, what has really changed in the past five years?

Not much, according to Alona Beesinger, chairwoman of the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce.

Between the end of Prohibition in 1933 and the 2009 election, Lubbock was the largest city in the state that still banned the sale of alcohol - kind of.

The Strip was technically part of Lubbock when voters legalized the sale of booze in the city.

"The precinct where the Strip was had already been annexed, so there wasn't a huge increase in sales tax because of that," Beesinger said.

Though Lubbock benefited from the tax dollars generated by those liquor stores in the southeast part of town, the businesses received little in return, according to Pinkie's owner Austin Keith.

"They didn't give us any of the city features," he said. "They didn't give us city water, gas or anything out there. They taxed us but didn't give us anything in regards to the taxes."

The price of booze has also remained virtually unchanged, Keith said.

"People thought we were price gouging, and our prices are the same in this market that they were in the other market," he said. "It's interesting because a lot of those prices on beer didn't come down like people thought that they would."

Lubbock residents may not be paying less, but they also aren't paying more. An increase in competition has kept prices about the same across the board, Keith said.

"If you are going to be in a retail business, you've got to be competitive," he said.

Property taxes did increase as more liquor stores popped up in the city, Beesinger said.

"It has been a positive," she said. "There have not been a whole lot of changes. It's easier access and more convenient, and so far we have not seen any detriment."

The Chamber of Commerce strongly supported the legalization five years ago, and Beesinger said that also has not changed.

"It's been good for our business members," she said. "I'm pleased that everything has gone as smoothly as it has, but not surprised."

The United Family, Lubbock's largest grocery chain, was one of many local businesses that benefited, according to spokesman Eddie Owens, at least in the beginning.

Initially, beer and wine sales had a significant positive impact on the company, but as the newness and excitement of picking up a bottle of wine down the street dwindled, United's alcohol sales plateaued.

"It has leveled off significantly since then for a couple of reasons, but mostly because of competition," Owens said. "There are a lot more players in the beer and wine business today than there were when that first took place."

Today, Pinkie's is the only liquor store left on the Strip, and refrigerated vaults that were once filled with 30-packs now sit empty, Keith said.

When comparing sales records to five years ago, Keith said he has to take beer out of the picture.

"That was a huge volume of business out there on the Strip," he said. "That has been diluted because all of that business went everywhere."

Cans of Coors Light, Dos Equis and nearly every other beer created can be purchased at more than 110 gas stations or grocery stores and on the Strip - at Pinkie's.

Sales at the Strip are nowhere near what they once were, but Keith said his company will remain.

rs.douglas@lubbockonline.com

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