 Well, Sunday liquor sales will go into effect this weekend on the cusp of the 4th of July, and many Bemidji area store employees tell reporter Mel Meyer that they're hoping the boost in holiday tourism will help kick off the occasion. Noelle's bottle shop started advertising the new hours at the beginning of the week. We have it on our road sign there and then on our door. Right now, their biggest issue is figuring out how much to order. With their regulars, people coming in from the restaurant next door, in a boat launch up the street, they're in uncharted waters. While they're sticking to some usual specials to draw people in, they're hoping that by just being open, they can pick up some new clientele. Those expanded hours are also part of giving better customer service to people. It's the same way that some other stores are operating. Anything else for you? Getting the word out. Just to mention it to people, we get a lot of people asking us. Before they start sweetening the deal, Northern Liquor will have their doors open for the full seven hours. It will be the perfect time to sell to tourists who are accustomed to stores being open on Sunday. There's a lot of out of state people come to the town for the holidays, so it'll be nice to just sell through the weekend. And tourists aren't the only ones who are used to it. I think it's about time because I work in many other states and every other state does it. With so many variables changing, how many customers there will be, we're gonna have just in-store specials just for on that day. The Hive Liquor says the first weekend will be a test to see how many staff they'll need in the future. The more people that show up, the more staff members we're gonna need. But once the summer cools off and the extra customers leave, it'll be time to reassess. The city decided earlier this week to open and says they'll be watching closely before making any further decisions. I don't think one month or even two months is going to set the trend. And I think it has to be looked at on an ongoing annual basis. In Bemidji, I'm Mel Meyer, Lakeland News. Out of 22 stores that Lakeland News contacted within 10 miles of our three largest cities in our viewing area, which are Brainerd, Bemidji and Grand Rapids, only river road lickers in Grand Rapids has decided not to open. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.