Wegmans Food Markets and five liquor stores affiliated with the grocery chain have been fined a total of more than $1 million by the New York State Liquor Authority.
The SLA says Wegmans was fined $750,000 for “availing their license to five affiliated liquor stores.” The Albany-based agency says the supermarket chain was managing five liquor stores without a proper license.
Those stores include two in the Rochester area and one each in the Buffalo, Binghamton and Syracuse areas. Each store was fined $75,000 by the SLA for availing their license to Wegmans and accepting illegal gifts and services from a liquor wholesaler.
Wegmans denied any wrongdoing. The company said each store is individually owned by a member of the Wegman family trying to offer “low prices, great selection and great service.”
