Virginia ABC

Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, commonly known as Virginia ABC, is the state entity that regulates alcohol and operates all state-run liquor stores in Virginia. It oversees the sale of distilled spirits along with select wine and related products through its own retail network, while also licensing and monitoring private businesses that sell or serve alcohol across the Commonwealth.

The organization began in 1934, when the Virginia General Assembly established the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control following the repeal of Prohibition. That decision put distilled spirits under a controlled state system instead of a fully private market. A major milestone came in 2018, when the long-standing department structure was converted into the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority. The authority model preserved public ownership but gave the organization more flexibility to operate as a modern retail and regulatory business.

As of June 2024, Virginia ABC operates approximately 402 retail stores across Virginia, all supplied from a central distribution center in Hanover County. These locations range from smaller neighborhood stores in local shopping centers to larger, higher-volume sites in dense urban and suburban areas. The stores share a consistent state-owned format focused on spirits, with wine and mixers tailored by location, and are typically positioned in visible, easy-to-access commercial corridors.

Virginia ABC’s headquarters and primary operations campus are located in Hanover County near Richmond. From this hub, the authority runs its distribution center, central office functions, and the teams that manage licensing, compliance, education, and enforcement statewide. It issues and monitors thousands of licenses for restaurants, grocery stores, and other businesses, and it funds education and prevention programs focused on responsible drinking and public safety. Profits and collected taxes are returned to the state’s General Fund each year, making alcohol sales a meaningful revenue source for Virginia.

Over the last five years, Virginia ABC has steadily updated its retail presence within the Commonwealth. Rather than expanding into new states, the authority has focused on relocating and enlarging stores, opening new units in growth corridors, and closing or repositioning underperforming locations. This activity tracks closely with population growth, shifting retail patterns, and redevelopment projects. Northern Virginia, the Richmond metropolitan area, Hampton Roads, and fast-growing suburban counties have seen particular attention, as sales volumes and customer demand in these markets support additional or upgraded stores.

For landlords, brokers, and developers, Virginia ABC represents a state-backed, long-term retail user with a clearly defined and repeatable store concept. Its ongoing program of relocations, expansions, and modernizations creates recurring demand for small and mid-size boxes in shopping centers, neighborhood retail strips, and other high-traffic commercial settings across Virginia. The combination of consistent sales performance, public ownership, and a stable in-state growth posture makes Virginia ABC a distinctive and dependable component of many retail tenant mixes within the Commonwealth.