Minnetonka Says No to Total Wine

There will be no Total Wine location in Minnetonka, and or any other new liquor store for that matter.

On Monday, the Minnetonka City Council voted to deny Total Wine a liquor license. City leaders said the area has enough liquor stores.

According to the Star Tribune, Council Member Brad Wiersum said that Minnetonka is “adequately served from a liquor perspective. Why would we want our city to have more off-sale liquor establishments per capita than are allowed in either Minneapolis or St. Paul?”

WCCO reported that Minnetonka currently has 11 liquor stores. Minnetonka has an ordinance that says 12 stand-alone liquor stores are sufficient to serve the city.

Total Wine spokesman Edward Cooper said the no-vote will hurt Minnetonka.

The vote “raises serious questions about the council’s ability and desire to create a level playing field in which all businesses can thrive,” Cooper said in a statement.

“This unfortunate action could make it more challenging for Minnetonka to compete with other communities for expanded tax base and employment.”

In 2015, the City Council voted against Target's application to sell liquor store at its SuperTarget store.

It was the first time Target had been denied a liquor license in Minnesota.

Image: Justin Faulkner via Flickr /Creative Commons