You would be forgiven if you thought Barrels & Vines wasn’t a convenience store. Sure, the nearly 8,000-square-foot store has snacks and beverages, but it also boasts 50 feet of liquor, plus a huge craft beer selection and hundreds of bottles of wine. “I’ve spent much of my adult life in the spirits industry,” said Layth Kassab, one of the owners of the Royal Oak, Michigan, store. “We wanted to take advantage of the craft beer industry and the small wineries around here as we built this store.”
Kassab is quick to point out that Barrels & Vines “isn’t a party shop, but an upscale market aiming to be a one-stop shop and destination store.”
Well-Lubricated Selection
As the name alludes, Barrels & Vines’ main focus is on its extensive alcohol selections. Kassab has stocked the store with an eye to meeting both the needs of the average customer and the connoisseur looking for something special. The liquor section features a mix of high-end and low-end bourbon, scotch and vodka. The store offers more than 1,500 bottles and box wines, value wines and high-end special occasion wines sourced from all over the world and the U.S.
The craft beer section has just under 2,000 labels, and Kassab often brings in 25 new brands a week to give customers a reason to keep coming back. Five cooler doors stock around 400 different single craft beer bottles. “We found that customers often want to sample a variety of craft beers, so we allow them to do that easily,” he said.
Customers can also fill up a 64-ounce growler at a 12-tap station, which backfills the glass bottles with CO2 before replacing it with beer. “It gives the growlers a more true ‘keg’ experience, which we believe makes the beer fresher for the consumer,” he explained. The growler station rotates the on-tap selection frequently.
I want to know the story behind every bottle we sell because that’s what many customers like to hear before they buy.
Barrels & Vines offers alcohol samplings every weekend and often gives discounts to customers, such as saving 10% on six bottles of wine. To keep the selection fresh, Kassab often researches the brands extensively before adding them to the shelf. “I want to know the story behind every bottle we sell because that’s what many customers like to hear before they buy,” he said.
To complement the beverages, the store has a takeout restaurant that offers Krispy Krunchy Chicken, as well as pizzas and salads from the adjacent Saroki’s Pizzeria. “The pizza and chicken complement our raw juice and smoothie bar to give customers lots of choices,” he said.
A six-foot-long grab-and-go case has more than 200 salads, wraps, hummus, dips, parfaits and desserts, all fresh-made. In addition to the juices and smoothies, the store sells f’real shakes, slushees and iced-coffee drinks. Coffee Beanery provides hot, fresh coffee.
Customer Satisfaction
Barrels & Vines mostly connects with customers on Facebook and Instagram, using the social media platforms to promote what’s new in the stores. “It’s been a great tool for us, and we’re working on adding a website soon to increase our message reach,” he said.
Barrels & Vines offers beer and wine and also healthy grab-and-go items, such as salads and smoothies, or more indulgent options like pizza and fried chicken.
The store also makes sure its employees are knowledgeable about the products, and Ken Lucia, one of the owners, will hang out in the alcohol section on weekends to help customers pick just the right bottle. “I’m always willing to talk one-on-one with a customer,” Lucia said.
The company is just beginning to sink deeper roots into the community by sponsoring events and by designating a penny per gallon of gas sold on pump No. 8 to a local school. “We are continuing to get to know the community and how we can help,” he said.
For Kassab, the most important things aren’t usually the ones customers comment on. “For example, our store is very well lit, not overly blinding, but visually pleasing,” he said. “We also clean our fuel pumps every day. If you’re going to have a restaurant in the store, you need to make sure your outside is as clean as your inside.”
Barrels & Vines recently opened a second location four blocks south on the opposite side of the street. “It won’t have a growler station, and the food concept will be quick Middle Eastern fare, but we’re excited to take the store to a new audience,” he said.
“Our customers could go to a million other places, so we want them to feel very welcome when they come into Barrels & Vines,” Kassab added. “That’s why I love helping people pair alcohol with their food and to answer any questions they have about our selection.”