www.beveragedynamics.com
March/April 2014 • Beverage Dynamics 51
SMALL TOWN SERVICE
Business and family mix perfectly at Roof Brothers
F
amily-owned Roof Brothers Wine & Spirits is part of the fab-
ric of Paducah, Kentucky. The company operates two stores
in the small town along the Ohio River. The company was
founded in 1958 by Paul Roof, who obtained his liquor license on
his 21st birthday, and today four of his children and a nephew are
still involved in the family business.
"My father started out in a small, tiny cinderblock
store that was drive-through only on a street corner
near downtown," says Denny Roof. "After success at
that location he moved to a larger building a block away
and he was a fi xture in that neighborhood for nearly 50 years."
Paul Roof retired in 2002 and passed away in 2006, leaving Roof
Brothers in good hands as the next generation took over the stores.
Even 55 years after the company's founding, Paul's philosophy is still
guiding the business.
"He taught us to be hands on, be here when you need to be here
and don't sit back in the offi ce doing nothing," Denny Roof says.
"He said to be out on the fl oor serving customers, attending to their
needs and being visible throughout the community."
GOING THE EXTRA MILE
Roof Brothers' two stores serve two distinct customer bases in town,
as refl ected in each location's product mix. The Main Store sells
40% wine, 35% spirits and 15-20% beer (with a heavy emphasis on
imports and craft), with the remainder gifts and food items. The
Southside store, on the other hand, is located in a working-class
neighborhood and sells 40% beer, 35% spirits and about
25% wine.
"We cater to everybody at both stores," Kenny Roof
says, "but the Southside is very blue collar and the other
side of town is very white collar."
For a small town, a surprising number of customers fi nd the
store through social media and the web, Denny says. "More and
more customers who love a good Bourbon or beer will follow
brands online and know exactly when there's a special release,"
he says. "Sometimes they contact us before we even know we're
getting something, so we stay on top of trends and try to get
prepared and knowledgeable about new products that are going
to hit the stockroom."
www.beveragedynamics.com
March/April 2015 • Beverage Dynamics 51
F
BY JEREMY
NEDELKA
