Zak Wood/Colorado Daily

Brian Prentice, right, picks up two six-packs of beer and some free “beer can chicken” from Oskar Blues barbecue master, Chris Katechis, left, at Liquor Mart Sunday afternoon. Sunday marked the end of a 75-year ban on liquor, beer, and wine sales on Sundays in Colorado.

It's an all-too-familiar occurrence: excitement among friends for an afternoon social event such as a football game or barbecue is completely deflated after the sudden realization that collective beer supplies have been drastically underestimated -- and there's no prospect of restocking because, that's right, it's Sunday.

It's happened to the best of us.

That's why, when Gov. Bill Ritter signed a bill earlier this year that repealed a Prohibition-era "blue law" banning liquor sales on Sundays, beer and wine enthusiasts, forgetful customers and eager business owners alike rejoiced in the opportunity to do business.

"We work at a liquor store and we still forget to stock up on Saturday for Sunday from time to time," said Mackenzie Kern, an employee at Pettyjohn's Liquor on the southwest corner of Table Mesa and Broadway.

For Kern, this was part of the reason that clocking in to work on Sunday, July 6, was exciting -- the day marked the first time the state of Colorado has allowed liquor stores to be open on Sundays since 1933.

"It's going to be interesting to see what it does for business," said the recent CU grad. "People are excited."

Over the last 75 years, the city of Boulder held tightly to Prohibition ideals -- declaring itself a "dry" city until 1967 when liquor was finally legalized for sale in saloons. In 1968, the city began licensing the sale of alcohol in liquor stores, but has always enforced the blue law banning Sunday sales, according to Chris Emma, store manager for the first store to receive a liquor license in Boulder: Liquor Mart.

"It's an issue that comes up every year," said Emma, referencing the ongoing efforts of industry lobbyists and active citizens that convinced the powers that be to lift the ban. "It was only after years of being proposed and getting shot down then being proposed again and gaining more support that created enough pressure to finally make the change."

For Emma, who has set Sunday store hours at Liquor Mart from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., conducting business on Sundays is more a matter of public interest than a political issue -- stating that if there is a demand from customers interested in making purchases on a Sunday for their own convenience, he is happy to be able to meet it.

Having already adjusted and accounted for an increase in business from the seventh-day sales, Emma also stated that seven new positions have been created and the store is now hiring to fill them based on their projections.

For some liquor-store employees, however, Sunday hours translate into extra and unwanted shifts.

"It's going to suck during football season," said Joshua Farrell, employee at Pettyjohn's, likely echoing the sentiments of any football fan scheduled to work on his or her sacred gameday. As an added incentive for Sunday shifts, however, Pettyjohn's--also open Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. -- is currently offering its employees a time-and-a-half incentive for working Sundays until the end of the year, when they will evaluate sales. For the time being, the extra pay is worth it for employees.

"I called 'dibs' for Sundays," said Kern.

Both Kern and Farrell told the Colorado Daily they liked seeing their customers happy to be able to take advantage of Sunday hours.

"It's nice not to have to do the 3.2 at the grocery store," said one Pettyjohn's customer, Kelly Seeley, referencing the emergency alternative for poorly planned Sunday gatherings mentioned above.

"We're pumped," said Brad Stannard, a 22-year-old CU student who was shopping with a friend at Liquor Mart. "It's going to be pandemonium during football season when you always wish you had something. Today, we're here just for the simple fact that we can be."

As excited as customers seemed to be shopping on Sunday, some stores, such as Gunbarrel Liquor, are exercising their right to remain "blue." This choice seems to be good, not only for the businesses staying closed on Sunday for their personal reasons, but also for the businesses around them.

"We had some customers come in saying they drove past their neighborhood liquor stores to get here because they were closed," said Emma. "They thanked us and maybe we made a few new customers."

While reports from employees and customers alike seem to indicate that people are upbeat and enthusiastic for the change, no one is exactly sure how business will be positively or negatively influenced in the long run.

"It seems a little slow today," said Kern, "but we're busier than we were last Sunday." Contact Lance Vaillancourt about this story at (303) 443-6272, ext. 125 or vaillancourt@coloradodaily.com.