ABC Fine Wine & Spirits facts for kids

ABC Fine Wine & Spirits

Formerly	Jack's Friendly Neighborhood Bar, ABC Liquors
Type	Private
Industry	Retail
Founded	1936
Founder	Jack Holloway
Headquarters	Orlando, Florida , United States
Number of locations	123 (2021)
Key people	Charles Bailes III (CEO)
Products	Wine, spirits, beer, cigars, gourmet food, accessories
Revenue	$700 million (2019)
Number of employees	1,200 (2021)

ABC Fine Wine & Spirits is a chain of stores in the United States. They sell wine, spirits, beer, cigars, special foods, and other items. The company started in 1936 in Orlando, Florida. Jack Holloway was the person who founded it.

Today, the Bailes family owns the company. Charles Bailes III is the current CEO. Even though its name is "ABC," this company is not connected to the government-run "Alcoholic Beverage Control" stores found in some U.S. states.

History of ABC Fine Wine & Spirits

How It Started

Jack Holloway moved to Florida in 1931. He was working at a store when it became legal to sell alcohol again in 1933. Jack saw a chance to start a new business. He suggested selling alcohol to his boss, but his boss said no.

So, Jack borrowed money from a family member. In 1936, he opened his own place. He called it Jack's Friendly Neighborhood Bar. It was in downtown Orlando. The spot was good because it was near a bus stop for a military base. This brought in many customers.

Changing the Name and Growing

In 1950, Jack Holloway changed the name of his business. He called it ABC Liquors. He wanted it to be first in the phone book. He also wanted the name to sound easy to remember and trustworthy. Later, the name changed again to ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. This new name showed that the stores were more modern.

Jack was very good with numbers and sales. Charles Bailes Jr. joined the company. He was married to Jack's daughter, Jackie. Charles Bailes Jr. helped make the business run more smoothly. In 1975, the company built a new main office and warehouse. It is still in south Orlando today.

Family Leadership and Expansion

The company grew slowly at first. By the mid-1940s, it had about six stores. Jack Holloway was careful with money. He used the money the business earned to open more stores. Many early stores had attached lounges. These were places where people could relax.

In 1994, Jack's grandsons took over. Charles Bailes III became the Chairman and CEO. Jess Bailes became the Executive Vice President. They continued the family tradition.

By the late 1980s, ABC started to grow beyond Central Florida. They bought another company called Jax Liquors. This helped them open stores all over Florida. As of recent information, ABC has over 120 stores. They are located from the Florida Panhandle all the way to Miami. This makes ABC Florida's largest independent alcohol seller.

Modernizing the Stores

In the 1980s and 1990s, ABC made some big changes. They closed the lounges in their stores. They also closed stores that were in less good locations. The number of stores went from about 200 down to 140.

The company then updated the remaining stores. They made them more welcoming and modern. They changed the look from older, less inviting stores to bright, well-lit places. This change was also because they realized that women bought a lot of the products. The Holloway-Bailes family has owned the company since the 1980s.

Under the current leaders, ABC has kept growing. They have added more products and stores. They also support many charities and community projects.