Lakeshore Beverage is proud to service over 15,000 retail accounts across our sales footprint. This includes bars, restaurants, grocery stores, and even major venues like the United Center and O’Hare airport. Behind each of these accounts is a sales representative from our company that services their beverage orders, signage requests, event ideas, and sometimes even delivery of items. They’re out on the road day in and day out, navigating the joys of parking in Chicago, eating lunches in their cars, and constantly communicating with their list of accounts.
Our 200-person sales team is the front line of our company. And while our operations team are the ones who are responsible for delivering the product, both teams work hand-in-hand to ensure the best possible service to our customers. For National Salesperson Day on March 2, our Digital Marketing Specialist, Kevin, had the chance to ride along with four different members of our sales team.
Day 1 – Liquor Stores
Freddy Ramirez services the downtown Chicago area and goes as far north as Lincoln Park and as far west as Wicker Park. He calls on mom and pop corner stores, large-scale liquor stores like Binny’s, and several grocery stores. I meet Freddy about 10am at Binny’s on Grand Avenue in River North. He’s upstairs checking inventory which will help him determine the order that day.
“They order by the pallet, and obviously dates are really important, so I’m going to rotate all our stuff. I have to make sure what comes in first goes out first,” Freddy tells me.
As Freddy finishes up inventory, we meet with Andy, one of the Beer Consultants at this Binny’s location. Andy tells me he started working here after a 20-year career in corporate marketing for a financial service company.
“I burned out on the corporate world and I asked myself, ‘Do I want to be a Marketing Director again? No.’ Now I get to ride my bike here and drink beer,” he says with a grin.
Freddy loads up a dolly full of Stella Artois and we head downstairs to the cooler.
“Stella flies out of here,” Andy tells me.
We head down to the walk-in cooler where Freddy checks all our beers and ensures they’re stocked and freshness dates are within code. He’s also continuing the inventory count and tidying up the crowded area.
“We’re cleaning, too,” Freddy says with a smile as he breaks down empty cardboard boxes.
Finally, it’s time to walk the floor with Andy and Carrie, another Beer Consultant, who both determine the final order.
They discuss some housekeeping items first: displays on the floor, delivery times, and then new products. Shelf space is at a premium here, and Freddy and Carrie go back and forth on where and what can shift around to make space for some new brands.
Carrie, Andy, and Freddy then walk through the cooler doors, aisles, and displays — Freddy gives them an update on the inventory of each brand as they walk past. We approach the Bell’s section.
“You have five Larry’s [Latest Sour], you have Bell’s Two Hearted – what you see is what you have, except for the 12-pack cans which are all inside the cooler. Amber is here, Kalamazoo [Stout] is here,” says Freddy.
“Let’s go with two more Amber right now,” Carrie decides and they continue along like this, going through each Lakeshore beer on the shelf.
We get to Boulevard and Carrie asks if there’s anything new from them we can bring in right now, “I know we’re trying to bring in more of their brands right now.”
Freddy brings up their new Jam Band Berry Ale which will be here soon, as well as their Manhattan Cask, an Imperial Stout aged in Manhattan barrels.
We end our time at the store by rearranging a few displays on the floor which is no easy task. “You definitely don’t need a gym membership with this job,” Freddy laughs.
Next Stop: East Delaware Pantry
East Delaware Pantry is located on the bottom floor of a large condo building in the Gold Coast. Freddy calls the owner, Mike, ahead to make sure we have a parking spot available. Mike has it taken care of and we’re greeted with Mike’s infectious smile.
At a smaller store like East Delaware, there’s less inventory to go over, but it’s still a priority. Freddy and Mike walk through the store and check out what they have going on, chatting and joking around the entire time. As they get to the beer aisle, Freddy asks Mike about a new beer to bring in.
“What about SweetWater TripleTail cans? It’s tropical, fruity and it comes in cans which is perfect for here,” Freddy pitches.
“Yeah, sure that sounds good. Give me a case,” Mike replies.
“Awesome, I’ll add that to the order.”
“What about this guy? The Breakfast Stout” Mike asks pointing at Founders Breakfast Stout sales sheet in Freddy’s notebook.
“One case?” Freddy asks.
“Yep, that sounds good,” says Mike.
“PBR?” asks Freddy.
“One more PBR,” replies Mike.
“Bud 25?”
“Bud 25’s are good.”
“Ultra?”
“Ultra…five more.”
“Stella? You have four here.”
“Let’s go three more.”
And so this goes, through the brands and the cooler.
As a total beverage distributor, at Lakeshore Beverage we also sell a variety of non-alcoholic brands. Freddy does Mike’s order for Nesquik and Lacroix to close out the sales call.
Freddy will see several accounts in a day, each with their own needs. When he’s not with an account, it’s likely he’s on the phone or texting another buyer. And while he realizes the job can be demanding at times, he truly loves it.
“I wouldn’t still be here if I didn’t love my job.”
Day 2 — Venues and Stadiums
For my next ride along, I had the privilege of riding with Sal Carmona, our Venue and Stadiums Manager. Sal is our call point for all the major venues, stadiums, and key accounts like O’Hare and Midway Airports. He’s been working in the beer business for over 30 years, originally starting as a warehouse guy back in 1985.
“I was going to night school and I took the job to help pay for that — I had no idea it would turn into a career.”
Eventually he moved up to become a sales representative; his first route was the Wrigleyville area of Chicago in 1989. Quite the first route.
Over the next 28 years, he moved around to different positions within the wholesaler business as well as for Anheuser-Busch, eventually settling in his role at Lakeshore. The youngest in a family of 10, Sal has always been a people person and it shows in his work.
First stop: United Center.
The Bulls are playing that night so Sal walks the draft cooler and 100 level to ensure tap handles are in place, facing the correct way, and date codes are good.
Next Stop: O’Hare International Airport
After our walk-through it’s time to pack up and head up to O’Hare International Airport where we’ll check in with their team. The beer for the day has already been delivered, as that happens anytime between 2am and 4am.
First up, we chat with Alberto in the store room on glassware, specifically for Goose Island Matilda, which is served at several locations throughout the airport. Alberto has been working there for 30 years and is in charge of ordering all the beer for the airport, working with folks like Sal to ensure inventory levels are accurate, tap handles are ordered, and glassware is in stock.
“This is the guy you need to know,” says Sal. “He’s the keeper of the back door.”
As a salesperson with as much experience as Sal, it’s no surprise he knows a lot of people. He said hello to every security guard, hospitality worker, and receiving attendee. He prides himself on the long standing relationships he’s built and his smile and demeanor are contagious as he greets people throughout the airport.
It’s well past lunchtime so we stop for a bite at The Publican, known for its highly curated beer list. It only seemed appropriate to order a Matilda in the proper glassware.
Just like bars and restaurants, airlines also have to stay on top of the beer they offer inflight and in their clubs. Our next meeting is with Ariel and Joseph who manage United Airlines’ menu. Spring is coming and it’s time to change out a few seasonal brands for the warmer weather ahead.
A quick stop at one of Goose Island’s terminal bars and we get a call from Brad, the General Manager for HMS Host, which is the licensee for many of the bars inside the airport we sell to.
“I remember his first day when he was the Assistant to the General Manager,” recalls Sal. “He’s the man now.”
Day 3 — Restaurants and Bars
On this ride along, I’m with Eric Mangriotis who services accounts on the north and northwest side of the city. We start the day at Logan Bar & Grill in Logan Square.
We sit down at the bar and meet with Mark, the beer buyer. Since it’s Monday they discuss weekend numbers, what worked, what didn’t. Mark has a clipboard with an Excel spreadsheet for all his orders and he and Eric work down the list to fulfill his inventory needs. After the Founders All Day IPA order, Eric mentions some good news.
“Founders just released a new beer today, actually,” he says.
“Really? What is it?” Mark asks.
“It’s called Solid Gold. It’s got a great price, would be nice on draft or cans, too.”
“Oh, right — the lager. Yes, I think I’m going to plan on that but I have to wait for a few things to move out first.”
After a few more orders, Mark brings up Bell’s Oberon, which drops March 26.
“I would definitely recommend putting a handle of that on,” says Eric. “That and Two Hearted both do really well together.”
Next Stop: Village Tap
We head north to Roscoe Village and meet Jeff who manages their beer needs. There was a delivery issue with a beer on Jeff’s order from last week so once that’s resolved, Eric pitches him on a new beer from Bell’s: Larry’s Latest Sour.
“Nice color, golden, bright,” starts Eric. “5% alcohol so nice and easy-drinking. It’s a dry-hopped, kettle sour so the sour definitely hits you up front. It’s also a pediococcus culture rather than a lactobacillus which gives it a slightly different sour than your typical kettle sour. And then the predominant hop in the flavor is Idaho 7 which definitely has a tropical note — I get a lot of pineapple from it. Really a nice finish that’s quite thirst-quenching.”
“I’ll take a half barrel,” Jeff says after the tasting.
“Awesome, that will be on the truck tomorrow.”
Whole Foods
Although Eric primarily calls on restaurants and bars, he also calls on a few grocery stores and liquor stores, too. One of which is the new Whole Foods in Lakeview which has an extensive beer section and bar. We take a walk through the aisles and make a few notes before we’re greeted by Paul, their beer buyer.
Eric and Paul go over some new products, some not so new products, and briefly discuss the upcoming release of Founders KBS, which comes at the end of March.
The Hopleaf
One of, if not the, most well-known beer bars in Chicago is The Hopleaf. Located on Clark St. and Foster, The Hopleaf has been serving its extensive variety of Belgian and American craft beers for over 25 years. Today, Eric is tasting them out on Larry’s Latest Sour and Alaskan’s Spruce IPA.
We’re meeting with Johnny who helps run the bar and does much of the day-to-day ordering. Both Johnny and Eric saw Black Panther over the weekend so the first 10 minutes of our time are spent discussing the film.
We pop open Larry’s Latest with Johnny and he gives a favorable review.
“I like that they’re trying to do different things,” he says, referring to Bell’s. “This is nice. It’s mild but subtly sour — it also has a really nice nose. Definitely crushable.”
Next up is Alaskan Brewing’s Spruce IPA, which is made with real Alaskan spruce tips.
“They like to utilize local ingredients and obviously there are a lot of spruce trees in Alaska,” Eric says.
We all take our first sip.
“Oh, that’s interesting,” says Johnny. “Kind of a sweeter spruce.”
“There still is that pine character sort of later in the palate, but up front has more sweetness” says Eric. “Comes in at 7% but you wouldn’t know it ’cause it hides the alcohol very well. Very floral but not overpowering — still finishes crisp.”
“No, that’s good. I genuinely like that beer,” says Johnny.
Day 4 — Grocery Stores
My fourth and final ride along is with the ever-growing grocery channel of our business. More and more grocery stores across the country are expanding their beer offerings and Chicago’s are no exception. Today I’m riding with Victor Calderon who’s been working with us at Lakeshore for nearly three years. He’s been in the grocery channel the whole time and absolutely loves it. We meet at the Jewel Osco in Old Town at 8am.
With grocery, there’s an added focus for our reps with our non-alcoholic or NA portfolio. For a store like Jewel Osco, they might even sell more NA products than beer. Victor explains that the two go hand in hand to have mutually beneficial displays and placements within the store. Our first task, though: building our new Beer of the Month display with Founders Solid Gold.
Displays are impactful in both sales and marketing as there’s an immediate value in showcasing the brand in a key area of the store.
After building the display, it’s time to make sure Solid Gold looks good in the cooler as well.
“I know it sounds cliché but it’s true: if it’s cold, it’s sold,” Victor tells me.
Our time at this Jewel comes to a close but as we’re walking out, Victor notices an end cap of Essentia water is in disarray.
“Can’t leave this looking like this,” he says.
As he mentioned before, NA products and their placement in the store are just as important as beer in this channel of the business.
Mariano’s
Our next stop is the Mariano’s on E. Benton Place just north of Millennium Park. Being in the heart of downtown and amongst several condominium buildings, the Mariano’s sees a good amount of volume, especially in the summer months.
“During Lollapalooza, beer flies out of this place,” Victor says as we pull into the parking garage off E. Randolph St.
Upon arrival, we meet Scott, their liquor manager.
One of the challenges with grocery stores is that all the products need to be approved from a corporate level before coming up in the store’s system.
We test this out with Goose Island’s new Midway IPA. It was just delivered that week but didn’t have a price tag yet. Scott and Victor bring a 6-pack over to the customer service desk to see if it scans.
It scanned. Time to print out a price tag and celebrate.
There are a lot of goofy, made up holidays these days. You’ve got National Taco Day and Pizza Day and yes, even National Talk Like A Pirate Day. But Friday, March 2 was National Salesperson Day and we actually care about this one. We’re proud of the men and women who represent Lakeshore Beverage on a daily basis and hope you’ll stop to thank them upon reading this behind-the-scenes look at a day in the life of a Lakeshore Beverage sales rep.
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