7-Eleven to serve alcohol with in-store dining in OntarioTORONTO — Southwestern Ontario will soon see beer and wine in a corner store -- though not exactly the way Premier Doug Ford envisioned in his 2018 campaign promise. Convenience store 7-Eleven says it has secured a liquor sales licence from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario to serve beer, wines and coolers at a restaurant in one of its stores in Leamington. There are similar licensed restaurants at several 7-Eleven locations in Alberta, and the company says the Ontario store is the beginning of a wider provincial expansion. Ford promised during his first provincial election campaign to let corner stores sell beer and wine, and his government even passed a law to terminate a 10-year deal with The Beer Store -- set to expire in 2025 -- that prevents the expansion. Since then, the Progressive Conservative government has taken a few other alcohol liberalization steps, including permanently allowing restaurants to sell alcohol with food as part of a delivery or takeout order, which was first introduced during the pandemic.

Source: National Post December 16, 2022 20:03 UTC