Beltramo's has the right idea with their postcard mailer offering a 15% discount on purchases (over $100). Offer your customers a reason to support your business instead of limiting their options. I have supported Beltramo's for more than 20 years (and recently Willow Mareket) but am sickened by this recent campaign.

So this whole hubbub was about having another liquor store in Menlo Park all along.

But now the truth comes out and it had nothing to do with rejecting one of those repulsive chain stores or big box stores as had been suggested.

It's all about limiting competition, pure and simple.

absolutley disgusting behavior on the part of Beltramos. Not making enough profit or you don't want more competition? TOUGH! Deal with it!

This really reflects poorly on the Beltramo family. If you can't compete based on your service, pricing, and local knowledge, then you should just close up shop.

Here is a link to the article written by the Daily Post on Friday, November 5, 2010...

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Just like Draegers tried to prevent fresh flower sales at Farmers Market. Hey, if Microsoft can crush the competition, why not the local brahmins?

Re the Daily Post article mentioned by Joanna -
So Beltramo's is proud about 12 year olds who ride their bikes to the store "whenever I'm looking for a drink.."
Of course I assume he's speaking of non-alcoholic beverages, but it's always a boon to future business to get them in the habit of walking by all those racks of beer and wine etc on the way to the sodas.

One the one hand, local businesses should fight for the opportunity to exercise free enterprise in local communities...on the other hand everyone should be presented a choice. The Beltramo family has the luck of being able to exercise all of the benefits of proposition 13 as long-time property owners...in spite of their choice of pricing strategies...which should help them in fights lilke this. Knowing full well how empty public meetings can be, and how often elected officials bow to the loudest or most powerful voices in the meeting hall, instead of common sense, reason and the law, well, I can see how they could have done this. It isn't agaist the law, but it isn't decent, either.

It's about time the council stood up to the self-serving demands from the Beltramo's.

Here is another reason for the City Council to deny the appeal. Respect for the decision made by their duly appointed Planning Commission. The PC, after a careful and thoughtful hearing, APPROVED Bevmos application. Barring any new information that shows that was a mistake, Council should uphold the PC's ruling. Oh yeah, and for all the other great reasons. too. What is going on here on the part of Beltramos really stinks!

Once I got wind of Beltramo's shady tactics, I stopped patronizing them, after many years of being a customer. I used to go out of my way to purchase wine and other liquor gifts there, but not anymore.

When I was a kid and I'd see them at local events, they came across as sort of friendly bullies and a bit phony, very typical of small business empire-builders. I guess the more things change, the more they remain the same.

Beltramo's certainly has the right to pack the meeting room... but they should be prepared for some blow back.

A lot of people resent their transparent attempt to limit competition. Menlo Park is still in America, at least for the time being.

Here's hoping the Almanac cover's the story of Beltramos demanding their employees show up at tomorrow's council meeting. And hopefully covering it early today online before the council meeting.
Or is the Almanac afraid of losing advertising?
Do the three families also own the paper?
Come on Almanac it's in your own front yard for crying-out-loud.

Bob, I'm not sure which would surprise me more; the Almanac picking up on this story in any meaningful way, or at least 3 members of the City Council not folding to the pressure and granting the appeal of the Planning Commission ruling. It isn't right, but it is reality in Menlo Park whenever one of about 4 families want it to be. Perhaps the city's name should be changed to Ciudad de las Pulgas.

Is it illegal to make it mandatory for employees to attend this type of meeting? What about full time vs. part time employees? What about bribing the friends/family members of employees? I may be over interpreting, but there seems to be an implied threat of "or else" if employees don't attend. There's nothing worse than working all day then having to go to evening meetings. Ugh. All to sell liquor? It's not like this is an evening meeting with your child's teacher, or something else that seems relevant.

Asking/making employees to attend the meeting to protest BevMo is yet another desperate act by the Beltramo family. Disgusting and innapropriate.

Perhaps some good people who object to this atrocious behavior by Beltramo's will take the time to go to the meeting and express their outrage at this assault on democratic principles.

Assault on democratic principles? Really?!

I'm pretty sure the framers of the Constitution understood that competing interests would lobby their positions. Nothing new here (see Federalist Papers 10). For better or worse, it's part of how the sausage is made.

Beltramo has as much right to lobby as BevMo does. If BevMo succeeds, Beltramo's employees lose their jobs. They shouldn't need a memo from the boss telling them to attend the meeting.

I have nothing against BevMo; I shop there. I haven't been inside Beltramo's in years. But, I stand behind the Beltramo's right to participate in the democratic process, including asking people to lobby. That's pretty standard practice in our government.

I don't consider Beltramo's actions an outrage or an assault. I consider it part of the democratic process.

Nobody said democracy, or capitalism, is pretty. Change the channel if it makes you queasy.

Publius - IF Beltramo's employees decide for themselves that they wish to speak out then that is pure democracy. If, however, they are ordered to the ramparts by their bosses then that is slavery and I am shocked that such an action would be applauded by someone who masquerades as a lover of democracy.

I'm not sure anyone said Beltramo's strategy is illegal, unconstitutional or unAmerican. I have read a lot of posts saying it is distasteful and I suspect those people will rebel against this strategy with their spending choices. The bigger point is that this has nothing to do with zoning or use... it is now transparent that this is simply anti-competitive (which actually may be unAmerican, come to think of it!).

Is the tail wagging the dog ??
Yes we all have a right to free speech, but come on enough is enough!! Beltramo's kept up the bickering until they got their way where Penske Cadillac was. I shall not buy anymore wine at their liquor store until they decide to grow up.

I am a long time customer of Beltramo's. That said, I am disturbed by this memo. Beltramo's has every right to fight to protect itself from competition. It has every right to encourage a strong show of support at the city council meeting. What disturbs me so greatly is that the memo appears to direct its employees to behave in such a way as to disguise the fact that they are acting at their employer's behest, or even that they are Beltramo's employees. In other words, it is a calculated effort to deceive the city council. If I am understanding the situation correctly, that is despicable, and will unfortunately impact the fondness I have felt for Beltramo's and my desire to patronize the store. If they are so willing to deceive the city, why would I doubt their willingness to deceive me? I have frequently sought their advice on a good wine or a good scotch, confident that I was getting hometown integrity. Now I have my doubts.

Brian - I wouldn't worry about the suggestions they make re the alcohol purchase. They know their stuff and always have.

Sounds like Beltramo's is merely organizing one of those "shadowy" special-interest groups that we have become so accustomed to--particularly during the recent election. Underhanded politics: it's the American Way.

I say let BevMo move in and then reward them for their lousy labor practices by getting your booze elsewhere.

Sorry Ethan, can't let this one go. "lousy labor practices", where in hell did that come from? Talk about facts not in evidence. If there is any evidence of lousy labor practice, its Beltramos making attendance at tonights council meeting (and their position on the issue) manditory for all of their employees.

I support BevMo.
I am pro-competition and anti-monopoly.
Competition is good for the consumer. I am a consumer.
Ruling families are about 250 years out of date. They only want to get richer.

I operate several restaurant operations in the Palo Alto, Los Altos, Redwood City area. I find it absolutely chilling to think that one or two of Menlo's finest eateries might require its employees to bully the council into blocking me from coming to your lovely town! Beltramo's has shown that it's no longer worthy of the local support is has enjoyed for decades.

Thanks to the Beltramo family for paving the way for a little old fashioned competition! The BevMo $0.05 per bottle sale has got them shaking in their boots. Think of the possibilities ... a Pinot Noir price war! I'll be there.

I for one have not shopped a lot at Beltramos, but when I have needed something special or unusual I have gone there. NEVER again. Their behaviour in ORDERING their employees to go to the city council hearing is disgusting. If they want to ASK their employees that is one thing, but to order them and to tell them to pretend to be something other than they are (schills) makes me sick. It is abusive of their employees and dishonest. If they would pull this crap to keep a Bevmo out, which isn't even in the same league, what else are they dishonest about? Nope. I will take any future business I might have had with Beltramos elsewhere. Good job guys. You just blew your foot off. Dumb!

council just voted 3:2 to deny the appeal. BevMo will come to Menlo Park.

Cohen, Boyle and Cline voted to deny. Robinson and Fergusson to uphold.

Good work council.

I agree with Councilman Robinson's request for an amendment to the BevMo approval that liquor miniatures not be readily available at checkout counters. However, hopefully Robinson will check all the other liquor retailers in town and make sure that they are not making the miniatures readily available. That would be very unfair singling out only BevMo for that rule.
A bit odd that even though Robinson's amendment was approved he still voted in favor of the appeal to keep BevMo out. Oh well he's out come January.
Thank goodness three of the five council members followed the rules on deciding the appeal.

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