Minneapolis hits rogue liquor store with 30-day suspension

Associated Press
Susie Gindorff, 33, comes to shop in the Surdyk's liquor store in Minneapolis on Sunday, March 12, 2017. She said she heard about the sales from a Facebook post. The liquor store has gotten a head start on opening for business on Sundays. Surdyk's, a longtime liquor and cheese store in northeast Minneapolis, opened for business Sunday, despite Minnesota's new Sunday liquor sales law not taking effect until July. (Xavier Wang/Star Tribune via AP)

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A Minneapolis liquor store that opened for Sunday business nearly four months before a new state law allowed it will lose its license for 30 days.

City officials announced the license suspension for Surdyk's on Monday, a day after owner Jim Surdyk threw open his doors and blasted it on social media.

The city also said it was fining Surdyk's $2,000, rather than $3,500 in citations first considered.

Surdyk can appeal. He didn't immediately respond to a phone message from The Associated Press to comment. Earlier Monday, he told AP since the law already was signed by the governor, he did not see any reason not to open his store Sunday.

Minnesota's new law allowing Sunday liquor sales doesn't take effect until July. The license suspension would begin July 2, the first day liquor stores are allowed to begin selling alcohol on Sundays.

Surdyk was originally against repealing the old blue law, fearing chain stores would run small, independent stores out of business.

Lawmakers overturned the 159-year-old ban — which was in place since Minnesota was granted statehood — earlier this month. The bill passed easily in both chambers after years of failed attempts because of strong lobbying efforts, from both businesses and advocates, that flipped lawmakers who previously voted against the measure as well as a slate of newly elected legislators that voted in favor of overturning the ban.