When you enter one of the 127 ABC Fine Wine & Spirits locations scattered throughout Florida, you’ll find the company’s motto emblazoned on signs that read, “Always Be Celebrating.” And for ABC’s owner and CEO Charles Bailes III and his younger brother Jess, ABC’s executive vice president, a celebration can take many forms. “People come to us to prepare for celebrations. Sometimes those celebrations are happy, and sometimes they’re not, but that’s the business we’re in,” says Charles. “Either way, we want to be present in the communities that we serve, and we have been for almost 90 years, both in good times and bad.”
Indeed, community aid has always been a key part of the operation at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, and everyone within the company, from the cashiers on the sales floor all the way up, is committed to giving back. Millions of dollars have been raised by the team at ABC for charities such as the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, United Cerebral Palsy of Central Florida, and the Coastal Conservation Association, among others.
“It’s part of who we are,” Charles says. “We’re a service organization, and part of service is recognizing need. We can’t solve all the problems, but we can certainly be part of the process of helping.”
For their devotion to serving their communities and prioritizing those in need, Charles Bailes III and Jess Bailes are the recipients of the 2024 Market Watch Leaders Community Service Award.
Providing Access
There are a number of organizations that ABC Fine Wine & Spirits is involved with, but perhaps none more so than United Cerebral Palsy (UCP). This organization is active throughout the country, but in central Florida it’s a multi-county organization that treats kids with all kinds of special needs and learning disabilities. It’s a cause that hits home for the Bailes family, as the Bailes’ uncle was institutionalized for cerebral palsy and died at the young age of 30. UCP of Central Florida has 11 campuses that host over 3,000 kids, providing access to resources they may not otherwise get. “It allows these kids to get therapy, education, and socialization during the day and then to go home to their loving families at night rather than being in an institution,” says Charles.
Over the years, ABC has raised millions of dollars and built campuses for UCP with the help of their customer base and others in the wine and spirits industry. “When they put the call out for a new campus or a new building, you have to raise those dollars,” explains Charles. “The wholesalers are so supportive and generously give, or we wouldn’t be able to do the things that we do for those in need. I think anybody would tell you that the beverage industry is a very giving and generous group.”
As a family business, ABC prides itself in lending a hand to families who are struggling. On top of the families they help through UCP, ABC also has a hand in aiding families affected by pediatric cancer. Charles and Jess have been participating in the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation’s “Fishing Funds The Cure” fishing tournaments for about ten years.
“My buddy Mark Bailey with Constellation Brands was involved with a fishing tournament out of St. Pete at the time and asked me if I wanted to go fishing with him. So on a Friday afternoon we brought pediatric patients at the local hospital down to the dock and they would catch little brim fish. And then the next year some of those kids wouldn’t be there because they had passed,” says Jess. “I mean, it just really tugged at my heartstrings. I just saw an unbelievable need and learned a lot about pediatric cancer that I didn’t know.”
To raise funds for new pediatric drug trials, ABC implements a six-week round-up program every year, allowing customers to round up to the nearest dollar amount, donating the extra change to the Nation Pediatric Cancer Foundation. “Last year we raised about $275,000,” Jess says, adding that donations for the entire 2023 year, “blew past a million.”
“You watch these kids fish off the dock and it’s the highlight of not just the day or the week, but the highlight of their life. They just don’t get exposed to those kinds of things,” says Charles. “I participate, but I’m kind of the cheerleader along with the rest of the ABC team. Jess and Mark Bailey kind of carry the banner on that one.”
Everyone at all levels of ABC lends a helping hand to those who need it most. Charles notes that team members from each ABC store make annual trips to volunteer at smaller, more local causes, helping out at food pantries or homeless shelters in the community. Team members also have a say in the organizations ABC gives back to, and are able to make suggestions for causes specifically dear to them. “We keep our ears open to what the needs are and listen to our team. If they’re involved in something, then we want to stand beside them and help,” says Charles. “Our mission is to make everyday celebrations better for our guests, our team members, and the communities we serve.”
A Business Evolves
From the time of its inception in 1936, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits has been a family business. The original location was opened by Jack Holloway, Bailes’ grandfather, in downtown Orlando. Holloway had been working across the street at a cigar store when Prohibition was repealed and he saw an opportunity to delve into the wine and spirits industry. Jack Holloway’s Friendly Neighborhood Bar opened as a small bar and package store, and throughout its 88 years of operation, the business has evolved quite a bit. In the 1950s, Holloway changed the store’s name to ABC to assure it would always be the first in the phone book, and they did away with the bar and lounge spaces in the 1990s in order to focus solely on retail. Today, the 127 ABC Fine Wine & Spirits locations in Florida span from the Panhandle to Miami, with the largest store at a spacious 25,000 square feet.
One thing that hasn’t changed about ABC is the ownership, which has cycled through the generations. Charles came aboard in 1975 upon graduating from college. “My grandfather and my father wanted me to come into business, but they wanted me to want to come into the business,” he says. “And so they told me to go interview for jobs, which I did, and get the best job offer that I could. And if I was interested, they would match it.” After getting job offers in different parts of the country, Charles decided to try his hand at the family business. “That can be a good decision, but it can also be a bad decision,” he notes. “For me, it was a very good decision. The rest is history.”
Jess joined the business around the same time and together, they kickstarted the family’s third generation of leadership within the company, taking full control in 1994. The company is one of the nation’s largest family-owned and operated beverage alcohol institutions. ABC is now welcoming its fourth generation, joined by Charles’ son Charlie Bailes on the administration side and son-in-law Sean Kelly, who does marketing and public relations for the company. “I joined ABC as a marketing consultant about seven years ago at a time when Charles wanted to engage and acquire guests differently with ABC’s marketing and advertising,” says Kelly. “I did not intend to join the family business initially, but a two-month project somehow turned into a new career. By the time Charles asked me to stay on full-time, I think he already knew I’d say yes because of his confidence and belief in ABC’s culture, the team, and the vision he has for the company.”
Charles has led the third and fourth generation of his family, as well as the 1,500 team members ABC employs, in expanding and revolutionizing the ABC Fine Wine & Spirits brand. He and Jess became Market Watch Leaders in 1994, and have since been recognized for several Leaders awards including Best Advertising, Best Merchandising, and Retailer of the Year. Under his leadership, the ABC stores have gone from your average liquor store to the modern, full-service model it is today. “Charles thinks like an engineer and has a superior ability to see opportunities and breakdown problems quickly to find solutions,” says Kelly. “I think what draws people to him as a leader is his unwavering optimism, the patience he shows for people trying to do the right thing, and his genuine compassion for team members and the communities ABC serves. Nobody chokes up faster than Charles when he speaks about the enormous pride he has for ABC team members who have made the company what it is today.”
Spirits Forward
While revenue is undisclosed, industry sources estimate that ABC brings in about $800 million split between spirits, wine, beer, cigars, and miscellaneous goods. Spirits accounts for about 50% of sales at ABC, and Charles notes that Bourbon and Tequila are the top-selling categories. When it comes to Bourbon, Jack Daniels ($40 a 1.75-liter bottle) and Makers Mark ($49) are top sellers at ABC, while Jameson ($46), Crown Royal ($47), and Johnnie Walker ($64) are among favorites in terms of imports. As for Tequila, Patrón Silver ($44 a 750-ml.) and Casamigos Blanco ($49) are the store’s best-selling premium selections, but there is also traction in the luxury segment, particularly for Clase Azul ($170). As for vodka, Tito’s is “still a monster” according to Charles, selling for $30 a 1.75-liter.
Wine makes up around 30% of sales at ABC, and there is a particular affinity for Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay amongst ABC customers. Kendall Jackson Chardonnay ($11 a 750-ml.), Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc ($13), and Woodbridge Chardonnay ($10) are some of the most popular white wines at ABC, while Josh Cabernet Sauvignon ($11) and Meiomi Pinot Noir ($18) are the best-selling reds. Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon ($83) is an ultra-premium offering that performs well at ABC, as does super-premium sparkling wine Veuve Clicquot, which sells for $56. The company’s Sourced and Certified program has been a hit with wine-loving Floridians looking to try new things. Wine and spirits in the Sourced and Certified collection come directly from the vineyard and are exclusively sold at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits stores throughout Florida. All products from the collection are certified by the company, so if the consumer doesn’t enjoy what they purchased, they can return it to the store and replace it with a bottle of the same value. “It helps us expose our guests to items they haven’t seen before,” says Charles. “Some of the labels may be sold in other states, but you won’t find them in Florida.”
Beer accounts for 12% of sales at ABC and newer stores feature walk-in beer caves that house myriad domestic beers and top-selling imports. New locations also feature a row of 12 cooler doors to showcase RTDs, one of the hottest categories at ABC. “Younger generations are moving to RTDs,” says Charles. “And we’ve certainly experienced that here at ABC because it’s warm in Florida and those beverages are consumed cold and are ready to drink.” High Noon Sun Sips and White Claw are the store’s best-selling RTD products, retailing for $28 and $19 a 12-pack of 12-ounce cans, respectively. Cigars and miscellaneous snack items make up the remaining 8% of sales, and with many ABC stores featuring walk-in cigar humidors as Charles notes, “that business is very healthy here.”
Service First
Despite all the success the family business has reaped, Charles and Jess view ABC as a service organization first and foremost, and they prioritize serving the community in every way possible. “If someone ever asked ‘why do you do it?’, I would say, ‘that’s why we have our daytime jobs,’” says Charles. “We’re very fortunate to be in a position where we can support those in need.”
When asked about future plans to give back, Charles is enthusiastic about one particular development. “We’re getting ready to build a new United Cerebral Palsy campus,” he notes. “So any suppliers or wholesalers that read this article will know that soon we’ll be coming back to them and saying ‘will you please help us?’” ABC Fine Wine & Spirits continues to add to the already hefty list of charities it contributes to as the need arises within the community, and charitable organizations can request aid from the company by visiting the ABC website.