After 75 years in the family, Ferrero sells Herman’s Package Store

If you ask Jim Ferrero of Herman's Package Store what his favorite beverage is of the store's immense collection, he'll take you to the back and pull out a package of Schlitz beer from the cooler.

"Everything else tastes like drain cleaner," he says with a laugh and a smile.

It's been his preferred beverage since he could ever legally crack open a can and it's remained as such over his many years with the package store that has been in his family for decades.

Now, after a 75-year run in the Ferrero family, Herman’s Package Store is under new ownership.

Owner Jim Ferrero confirmed the sale Wednesday of the business at 504 W. Main St., Ottawa, to Liquor ‘n’ Wine, which owns six other locations in Illinois.

Their seventh location will be known as Herman’s Liquor ‘n’ Wine.

“I’ll miss dealing with all the people. I really will,” Ferrero said. “And I’ll still be here part-time.”

Ferrero said the decision was a difficult one, but he’s looking forward to more time spent traveling and playing golf, a hobby he’s sworn off for 25 years. He’ll also continue working a part-time shift starting in July.

Ferrero said the Liquor ‘n’ Wine chain presented progressive ideas for the location and are planning a new, larger building right next to the current site that will be demolished.

Yatin Patel, of Liquor 'n' Wine, confirmed the new building will have an updated cooler system and expanded selections of craft beer, among other items, to meet the growing demands of a changing industry.

He also said they're looking at opening a "lounge-type" tasting room at the location.

Construction of the new location is expected to begin around a year to 18 months and Patel said he has no plans of closing the business down during the process.

They've been looking about opening a location in either Ottawa or Streator for around five years.

"It's not the first time we've looked at (Herman's) and it worked out where we don't have to be competitors and we've joined forces there," Patel said. "Jim did his homework too. He didn't want to sell to just anyone. He wanted to select who he sold it to and did background on how we run business."

Patel said his three main goals of the business is to properly take care of employees, customers and the community.

"That drives us in any town we go to," Patel said. "That's pretty much our focus day in and day out."

And part of that respect can be seen through retaining the business name.

"It was important of Jim to keep the name somehow," Patel said. "Usually we don't like doing that, we like our own brand, but in this case we made the exception out of respect to him and his family."

Ferrero said he has confidence the new owners understand the industry well and the new building will be a “big plus for Ottawa” and those that have been coming to Herman’s over the past few decades.

Ferrero’s father, Herman, opened Herman’s Package Store on 919 Clinton St. in 1944 before moving right next door to 915 Clinton St. in 1949.

Herman transferred ownership to his two sons in 1977 and the store relocated to its current location on West Main Street in 1979. The business celebrated its 40th anniversary of the relocation on Thursday.

“It’s been a good ride,” Ferrero said. “I’ll pop a can of Schlitz and watch (the future of the business) all happen.”