- Frank Perez operates a small vending machine company, S & P Vending, that serves customers in Chicago’s northwest suburbs. A Schaumburg resident, he used to stock up on soda to service his accounts near home.
Not anymore. Perez now does his shopping north of Lake Cook Road.
Perez was one of dozens of people buying soda and other sweet drinks at stores just across the Cook County line in Buffalo Grove and Highland Park last week. Their trips were an effort to avoid paying the Cook County penny-per-ounce sweetened beverage tax that went into effect Aug. 2.
“I estimate it would cost me upwards of $300 a month and I’m a smaller local business,” Perez said. “I’m coming up here now. I can’t afford to keep buying it in Cook County.”
And here's an example of what we warned about:
- Stephanie, a Chicago resident who declined to give her last name, said she and a friend were visiting the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe. She saw an opportunity to stock up on soft drinks in Lake County.
A frequent visitor to the garden, Stephanie said it was her first trip since the tax went into effect and she decided to take advantage. She went to the Highland Park Jewel to secure her savings.
There was other merchandise in Stephanie’s shopping cart as well. She said as long as she was there, it was time to do the rest of the grocery shopping. She said she does not plan to buy any more sweetened beverages in Cook County.
How big of an impact are people seeing?
- Mike Morres, a 7-UP representative servicing the Jewel near downtown Highland Park, said sales for his products at stores north of Lake Cook Road have increased between 82 and 90 percent. He said the decrease in Cook County is around 48 percent.
And the Dr. Pepper/Snapple group isn't one of the Big Two soft drink manufacturers. Anyone know what Coke and Pepsi are seeing in terms of sales in Cook County?
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