Simpson students will have to travel a little farther to buy alcohol this May Term. Regal Liquor, located in HyVee, will be closed until May 25.

The store went on probation March 26th for selling alcohol to a minor last October. The violation occurred during a police sting. A manager from HyVee misread the date on the person’s driver’s license and allowed the minor to purchase alcohol and tobacco products.

“It was a terrible lapse of judgment and it never should have happened,” Store Director Jon Richardson said.

The probationary period lasts 60 days. While it is an inconvenience for HyVee customers, Richardson said most were understanding about the situation.

“They know we are cautious about it.” Richardson said. “We don’t even allow anyone under the age of 18 to sell alcohol or tobacco products. They have to call a manager for approval.”

Richardson observed that many of Regal Liquor’s customers are college students.

“We do have a lot of Simpson students shop here,” Richardson said. “We are very diligent about asking for ID.”

Some students were frustrated to discover that Regal Liquor would not be able to sell alcohol the rest of the school year. The store was a top choice among students because of its close proximity to Simpson.

“It’s right near the campus, within walking distance,” said Jess Wilmuth, HyVee employee and Simpson student. “It will obviously have some impact on students.”

“It makes it kind of a hassle because it’s more convenient than other places to go,” Junior Laura Saar said. “Whenever I’m in there it seems like there’s a bunch of people from Simpson. Once the violation happened, everyone knew about it because so many people shop there.”

While the main store is on probation until May, the HyVee gas station is still able to sell alcohol. The gas station is a part of the HyVee store, but because it is in a separate building, it requires its own liquor license.

Richardson took this into consideration, “We have since gotten a license to sell all wines in our gas station. They are doing a considerable amount of wine and beer sales.”

The suspension comes right when alcohol sales for the store usually increase Richardson noted, especially during May Term.

“This is a very difficult time for us to lose our license.” Richardson said.

While it may be frustrating for students, Wilmuth believes it’s not as horrible as some think.

“I don’t think it’s going to cause the havoc people think it will,” Wilmuth said. “There are still plenty of other places to buy alcohol.”