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Bonnie Renfro, president of the EDC, said available alcohol is an amenity widely available that most businesses expect when considering a new location. For manufacturing, she said, the top criteria are location, workforce and the cost of doing business. After that, incentives such as quality of life are often looked at, including alcohol.

“For service-based businesses or people moving here or recruiting people to move here, that’s when quality of life can be a more important part of the decision,” Renfro said. “The part of the economy that’s growing the fastest is service. We can’t afford not to go after that.”

When considering a move, she said, businesses “have the expectation of places to entertain clients and hold meetings. It’s just part of the business world to generate sales, create relationships. ... Those amenities are available at most other places. As a transition economy, (amenities such as alcohol sales) will become more important. We want to be part of that growth.”

George Gusler, who heads up the Chamber of Commerce, said he’s had contacts with several hotel and restaurant chains over the years.

“Each time (the lack of alcohol) has been a stumbling block,” he said. “Several major chains have turned Asheboro down. If alcohol is approved, we’ll get back in touch with them. Some (restaurants) are relatively large investments and employ 30 or 40, plus part-time workers.”

We’re surrounded now (by cities with legal sales),” he said. “To compete we have to offer the same things as the others. To get people to stay in Asheboro we have to offer them what they want. We’ve got to get in the 21st century or we’re going to dry up.”

I think the issue of overindulge was discussed during the Republican meeting and someone was quite taken back because they took it as a FAT JOKE! I know that is a big problem I have is with eating and I don't have a problem admitting it, and that along with telling it like it is, sometimes is my biggest downfall....lol..lol...

Restaurant Chain Location Specifications Restaurant chains often have location specifications spelled out for use by brokers and potential franchisees. This example shows the criteria that one casual-dining restaurant chain uses.

•Requires a metropolitan area with 50,000 population.
•Expects 20,000 cars per 24 hours on all streets of exposure; 24-hour traffic, at least four-lane highways.
•Must have residential back-up, plus motels, shopping centers, or office parks.
•Minimum frontage is 200 feet; approximately 45,000 square feet of land. If the restaurant is in a shopping center, a free-standing pad for a 5,000-square-foot building and adequate parking are necessary.
•Area must demonstrate growth and stability.
•Location must include easy access and visibility.
•All utilities must be available to the property, including sewer.

•Councilman Bill Craig says only one restaurant has applied for a license to sell beer and wine inside the city. Other restaurants interested in pouring won’t apply until 2011 because they don’t want to pay the full year price just to have it available during the last three months of this year. The one restaurant that did apply isn’t serving alcohol yet because they haven’t obtained a state license.