Sheetz opened the only Pennsylvania gas station permitted to sell alcohol yesterday in Altoona, a move allowed by a loophole in legislation that lawmakers are planning to review.

Sheetz's president said the Altoona location is a special case and that it is unlikely similar stores will follow suit in State College.

However, local grocery store Wegman's is looking to begin selling alcohol within the next year, the store's service manager Nate Bubb said.

"The loophole is Sheetz has gotten a restaurant license because they sell food. They intend to sell 6-pack beer out of the restaurant," Mark Meyer, spokesman for Sen. John Rafferty, R-Norristown, said.

According to the Liquor Control Board (LCB), to qualify as an "eating place" that can sell alcohol, a business must regularly prepare and sell food, have an eating area of at least 300 square feet, be available to the public and be able to seat at least 30 people at once.

The Altoona store began selling alcohol after approval from the Liquor Control Board (LCB), a process that took three years and multiple court cases, President Stan Sheetz said. Wegman's State College is beginning a similar approval process.

"[Wegman's State College] applied for a transfer of liquor license to our store. We are waiting for state approval," Bubb said. "It's up to the state as far as the time frame. We've heard it could take six months to a year. Initially, we are just going to be a bottle shop -- selling beer."

Bubb said that he is unsure if there will be an age requirement to enter the store but is certain that every person wishing to buy beer will be carded.

"We do proof 100 percent of the people purchasing, whether they're 21 or 65. That is what we do in our other stores that sell alcohol," Bubb said.

Bubb said the store's plan is to make a separate section of the store specifically for selling a limited variety of alcohol.

Sheetz said a major factor in the approval of the new store was its separate sitting area.

"The store is more than twice as large [as other Sheetz stores] and it has seating for over 50 people," he said. "It has been designed more along the lines of a restaurant with a convenience store on the side."

Kate Phillips, press secretary for Gov. Ed Rendell, said the governor's view on different venues selling alcohol is a natural progression in grocery store evolution.

"In stores like Wegman's, now people go and actually sit down and have a meal," she said.

Phillips said the governor is confident in the LCB's ability to license deserving venues.

"The way that the statute is written, it is up to the interpretation of the Liquor Control Board," she said. "If a store meets qualifications, they can be licensed. The governor certainly wouldn't do anything to prohibit their decision."

Meyer said that Rafferty plans to hold a hearing in late February or early March.

Rafferty's plan is to discuss the issues surrounding both grocery stores and gas stations as beer distributors.

Local officials also had mixed feelings about alcohol being sold in grocery stores.

"My feeling is that any expansion of liquor sales, given all the problems we have, is not something that I would look forward to," State College Borough Council member Ron Filippelli said. "The easier it is for alcohol to get into the hands of people who are drinking and driving -- we don't need that."

Borough Council member Elizabeth Goreman said she is not concerned.

"Alcohol is very much available. It's a big money maker," she said. "It's responsible drinking that I'm more concerned with."

Bubb said that making more money is not the store's primary goal.

"As far as doing this to increase revenue, selling beer in our stores is just a convenience for our customers," he said.