Savannah retailers want beer sales to survive St. Pat's

SAVANNAH - Sales at William Kleinpeter&#39;s candle shop dry up when the green beer flows along River Street during Saint Patrick&#39;s Day. <br> <br> He says there&#39;s only one way to make ends meet -- sell beer or go bust. <br> <br> The Savannah City Council rejected Kleinpeter&#39;s application Thursday for a license to sell alcohol at the River Street Candle Factory when the Saint Pat&#39;s revelry hits March 16. <br> <br> Years ago, it wouldn&#39;t have been a problem. Store owners on historic River Street, lined with waterfront oyster bars and souvenir shops, routinely sold beer from kegs on the sidewalk until the city cracked down in 1998. <br> <br> Officials worried the booze bash was getting out of hand and passed new laws that made it tougher for boutiques and retail shops to sell beer. <br> <br> Those businesses basically surrendered until this year, saying tough economic times have made liquor licenses a necessity for survival. <br> <br> Mayor Floyd Adams, a possible candidate for Congress, has opposed reopening the taps to anybody with a cash register. He says city officials have worked hard to make River Street more family-friendly. <br> <br> River Street has become one of the most popular spots for St. Patrick&#39;s revelry in Savannah, which has the nation&#39;s second-largest St. Pat&#39;s parade and attracts up to 500,000 people each year. <br> <br> The waterfront became so crowded last year that police closed the entrance gates hours before last call.