CHADDS FORD, Penn. – Weeks of suspense have attended Wawa's request to sell beer at one of its Delaware County, Pennsylvania, locations. But this week, the Concord Township Board of Supervisors announced that they would not make a decision on the retailer’s request until early August.

Wawa petitioned Concord back in June, requesting to begin selling six-packs for carryout at its store in Chadds Ford. Approval by the township is the first step in a long process of gaining permission from the state. Pennsylvania’s beer market has long been dominated by distributors selling beer in larger quantities. In February, Concord's supervisors approved a similar petition by Wegmans to sell beer at a location slated to open in the fall.

If Wawa gains the requested approval, it would be a big step for the convenience retailer, although customers would still be limited to purchasing two six-packs at a time. According to news reports, Wawa has maintained it is seeking approval for only the one store, but that if things went well, the chain might seek to expand the beer offering to other stores.

Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania General Assembly approved legislation to privatize the state liquor system. Under the bill, state liquor stores would be phased out and the state-run beer wholesale system would be leased to private interests. The liquor privatization plan would also allow about 14,000 beer-sales license holders to pay a fee for permission to also sell wine, liquor or both. The bill would allow grocery stores and convenience stores with restaurants to buy licenses to sell limited amounts of wine and liquor for carryout, along with beer they can sell now.