Neville Pantazis' fine foods store has been selling takeaway alcohol for 45 years.
"The shop was established by my parents back in 1968 and for me growing up, I've never known us not to have a [takeaway alcohol licence]," he said.
"So I'd say a good 45 of those 55 years we've had alcohol attached to our business.
"It's a good part of our business … it's an integral part."
Mr Pantazis' shop, in the Darwin suburb of Parap, is one of 74 takeaway liquor outlets in the greater Darwin region.
"That's a bit over five outlets per 10,000 people," senior research fellow and head of the Menzies School of Health Research's alcohol and other drugs program Dr Cassandra Wright said.
"If you look across New South Wales, for instance, they're down at more like 3.8."
There are 117 takeaway alcohol outlets across the entire NT.
Corner stores, services stations, mixed businesses, supermarkets, and fine food shops like Mr Pantazis' can sell liquor.
Dr Wright said the jurisdiction also had the highest rate of alcohol-related harm and the widest variety of takeaway outlets.
"Nowhere else [in Australia] do we have the small grocery stores, the small corner shops, definitely not petrol stations [selling alcohol]," she said.
"If you look at say South Australia's legislation … they actually specifically bar licences from being given to corner stores, delicatessens, service stations … so it's pretty unique."
A 2017 review into NT alcohol laws recommended liquor sales be capped at 15 per cent of a store's overall revenue. The NT government eventually decided to adopt a 25 per cent limit.
Last month, following the stabbing death of a bottle shop worker and an anti-crime rally in Darwin, the government concluded there were too many outlets.
It announced a four-week expression of interest for buy-backs of takeaway liquor licences.
"We know that less licences means less alcohol and less alcohol-related harm in our community," Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said.
The buy-back scheme could lead to a 'a different mindset'
Having sold "two pallets of VB cans weekly" in its early years, Mr Pantazis has shifted Parap Fine Foods to the "speciality end of the market" since the 25 per cent cap was introduced.
Mr Pantazis said his shop would consider selling its licence "based on what the buy-back looks like".
"For me to relinquish this, I need to reinvest in another area … in our shop," he said
"I don't see that we are a problem outlet, so for me I'm now looking at it in a different mindset — in the sense that maybe it's an opportunity to change the nature of our game.
"I'm talking about … almost a cafeteria, tapas-type bar. We could literally clean out half the aisles in the shop, and create a tapas-type set-up."
Should the buy-back be compulsory?
In Darwin's satellite city of Palmerston, there are a handful of liquor outlets whose sales cause significant disturbances in the community, according to mayor Athina Pascoe-Bell.
She is supportive of the buy-back, but said if "problematic" stores don't sell, the government should consider compulsory acquisition.
"I think some of them struggle at times [with the 25 per cent alcohol sales cap]," she said.
"Not all of these licensees are good operators.
"If the government can identify that a licensee is not complying to its licence conditions, or there are significant community issues, there should be an avenue for compulsory acquisition."
The government's expression of interest period finishes at the end of April.
