SALINE COUNTY, AR – It’s been about two weeks since stores in Saline County started selling alcohol. In that time, sales have skyrocketed.

Tammy Carter, the assistant manager at Metro One in Benton says her business is one of those seeing brisk sales. 

“The first couple of days were crazy. It was busy, but it was good,” Carter said. 

Only two weeks in, she’s having trouble keeping beer and wine on the shelves. 

“This past week was our third order. We doubled our order every week since it came in, and sold out,” Carter said. 

However, getting to sell alcohol has been a long time coming. After voters approved the sales back in November, Carter has been preparing for this. 

“It was so nerve-racking waiting, but once we got it, it has been great,” Carter said. 

Customers too say this is a nice change.

“I live way out in the county and to go to the Pulaski County line, it takes a lot of gas, especially if you go twice a week,” Russ Foster said. 

Foster says he’s bringing all of his alcohol business to Saline County and will never travel to the county line for beer again. 

“[If I] drive all the way back around [it’s] 20 miles one way just to get alcohol, then all the way back out to where I live. It’s a lot more convenient now,” Foster said. 

Right now only beer and wine are being sold in Saline County, but soon liquor will be sold too. The state Alcoholic Beverage Control board will start accepting liquor permit applications soon. 

Liquor stores near the county border refused to comment on how sales have been in the last few weeks. However one business did mention, before alcohol sales started in Saline County, they would restock their shelves every 15 or 20 minutes and now it’s just once a day.