Sara’s Market has been serving East LA in one form or another for 60 years, but the combination supermarket and liquor store is getting an upgrade this month. It has introduced a mobile arm of the store, which will drive around the city selling natural wine and craft beer, along with essentials like beans, chorizo, and salsa. It’s the first-ever (legal) mobile store in the era of coronavirus.
Photo: Sara's Market
Los Angeles Gets First-Ever Legal Mobile Liquor Store
“Think of the pop-up model for food, but for a liquor store,” Sara, one of the owners of the market, told L.A. Taco.
Called Sara’s Market On the Go, the truck will pop up at taquerias and other food vendors in places like Long Beach and Hollywood (you can check out the truck’s Instagram page for an updated schedule). Customers have to order online ahead of time, then arrive at the truck (while practicing safe social distancing) to pick up their drinks. Sara’s Market has plenty of fun options on hand, including wine spritzers, canned rosé, and Michelada mix.
Around the country, cities are relaxing regulations regarding the sale of alcohol. Texas extended a new law which allowed restaurants to sell alcohol to-go. As of May 15, New Jersey restaurants are also allowed to sell and deliver cocktails to-go. Similar regulations in Los Angeles make a mobile food truck selling alcohol completely legal. Right now, most restaurants are simply selling beers and cocktails from their store fronts, but the liquor store on wheels is a new idea.
For the time being, the brick-and-mortar location of Sara’s Market is only allowing a few people in the store at a time, so not only will the truck bring more wine to thirsty people, it will be a big boost in business for a family-run store.
If you’re looking for the truck in your neighborhood but you can’t find it, just listen for a familiar song blasting through the streets. Sara says that the truck will either be playing that iconic ice cream truck jingle, “or the Scarface theme song.” 