Booze stings couldn't have come at worse time for these two Sioux Falls stores

Alleged violations spell more trouble for Mercato, Park Ridge Gas & Grub

Talk about bad timing.

A pair of Sioux Falls convenience stores this week were cited for selling alcohol to underage customers as part of routine alcohol compliance checks — also known as stings — conducted by the city police department.

And while failures aren’t necessarily uncommon, for the pair that failed, according to authorities, the alleged violations come at majorly inopportune times.

Prior to being cited Tuesday night, Mercato Liquor and C-Store at 631 W. 11th Street had already been on thin ice with Mayor Paul TenHaken and Sioux Falls city councilors, who’ve been fixing to pull the store’s alcohol license in hopes of cleaning up a crime-riddled part of the city. Council action has already led to two other businesses that had sold alcohol on the block no longer having that privilege.

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