Sunday beer sales have been lower than expected since state legislation first allowed beer distributors to open on Sundays Labor Day weekend.

In early September, local beer distributors were able to obtain a permit to sell beer on Sundays. This was the result of an act signed by Gov. Ed Rendell in July that made several changes to Pennsylvania's Liquor Code.

Among its provisions, the act allows distributors to obtain a permit to sell beer from noon to 5 p.m. Sundays, Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) spokeswoman Molly McGowan said.

The first weekend the permit was available, 840 distributors statewide obtained a permit, McGowan said. Since then, no additional businesses in Centre County have obtained permits.

McGowan added that the PLCB does not keep sales records of beer sales, but has heard reports of disappointing Sunday beer sales statewide.

W.R. Hickey Beer Distributor Inc., 1321 E. College Ave., obtained a permit to open on Sundays. Owner Jon Hickey said sales since the first weekend have been slow.

Hickey said that it's still too early to tell if Sunday sales will be profitable. It's impossible to tell how sales will be after football season is over, he said.

Paul Pletcher, owner of Pletcher's Beer Distributor, 330 W. Aaron Drive, said he has a permit but has not yet opened his business on Sunday. He said that he has heard other distributors have complained of unsatisfactory sales. "Consequently, there's a possibility I may not open at all," he said.

Pletcher said the likelihood the distributor will open on Sundays is "slim."

Another result of the code changes is that bottle shops outside Philadelphia no longer have to meet a quota on the volume of food they sell to get a permit to sell beer on Sunday.

Jodi Yarnall, manager of Hooters, 538 E. College Ave., said the code has not had a significant effect on business.

Hooters was open before the enactment of the changed code because of its volume of food sales. "Our sales have been about the same, nothing extreme," she said. "The first weekend was the only time we had a decrease in sales."

Jeremy Magdule, manager of Brewsky's Bottle Shop, 222 W. Beaver Ave., said business has been "slow but steady." Previously, the shop wasn't permitted to be open on Sundays because it didn't meet a quota for food sales compared to beer sales.

Magdule said that his business has been selling 10 times more beer than food on Sundays. "It's not real busy, but it's definitely worth opening," he said.

He said that his Sunday customers would have gone elsewhere if his business weren't open. "People will definitely find a way to get their beer," he said.