Schaefers sell family wine shop

Schaefer's, the famed wine store, Chicago-area institution and Skokie landmark, has been sold by the family to a Kenilworth businessman, Bill Graham. Details of Tuesday's sale were not announced.

The Schaefer family had announced several months ago they were putting the business up for sale but hoped the new owner would continue to run it the family-style operation so beloved to generations of North Shore wine and spirits lovers.

Graham said he plans to do just that, keeping both the staff and the day-to-day operations as they are. He said Anje Schaefer Cluxton, the daughter of the late George Schaefer Jr., will remain as executive vice president.

What's going to change?

"There will be a remodeling or renovation of the current facility without losing the sentimentality,'' Graham said Wednesday. "There will be a fresh look at the wines carried, how we're displaying them, how we're communicating the value."

For Graham, the challenge is reaching out to the wine lovers who have moved to the North Shore in recenty years.

"I'm 43, a local guy born and bred,'' he said, "but there's another generation that doesn't know the Schaefer's name."

This is Graham's first foray into the wine business. He is founder of Shenandoah Capital Partners LLC and a former president and owner of USABlueBook, a Waukegan-based business-to-business catalogue company.

Cluxton said Graham projected the sort of family style her family wanted to see running the business.

"He wants to expand the business,'' she said. "He's excited but respects what our family has done over the years."

"It feels good, it's a good start," Cluxton added. "We're so optimistic things will be perfect…The thought of closing was heartbreaking. It's a small miracle. We're just thrilled."