Convenience Store Sells First Beer, Wine

Richdale in Wenham has now sold its first bottle of wine and six-pack of beer.

The store has spent longer than a year working through the process to get a package store license and is the first convenience store in the town's history to sell beer and wine.

On Friday, owner Albert Abdelmalak was putting the final touches on the wine display and had a cooler fully stocked with beer in the store, at the intersection of Maple Street and Topsfield Road (Route 97).

Last fall, Wenham Tea House received the town's first pouring license. The Tea House had the town's first package store license to sell bottled wine, but it became available when the management changed to Henry's Fine Foods and owner John Keohane instead sought a pouring license.

The Wenham Board of Selectmen granted the license to Richdale in January after a public hearing. The board, which also serves as the town's Licensing Board, granted the license with sale hours of 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.