Good customer service and a diverse selection of libations have helped Main Street Wines & Spirits in Countryside succeed for 40 years.

The family-owned business opened in 1985 at 5425 S. La Grange Road in Countryside.

Main Street Wines & Spirits will celebrate its 40th anniversary from 2 to 6 p.m. Oct. 18. There will be several wine, liquor and beer vendors, a cigar station and raffle prizes. Uncle Bub’s BBQ in Westmont will cater the event.

Current co-owner John Walano, 61, of Willow Springs, was there on Day 1 as the deli manager. He and John Fotopoulos, 58, of Munster, Indiana, have owned the store together for several years.

Walano previously partnered with James Fotopoulos, John’s father. James Fotopoulos opened the store with his brother George and John Karfias. All three have died.

Forty years ago, a then 21-year-old Walano, who had worked for James Fotopoulos at a grocery store, was put in charge of the deli at Main Street.

“A big deli,” Walano said. “Back in the ‘80s, when we had Electro-Motive [in McCook] producing a locomotive every week, they had 15,000 workers. We had a huge lunch rush, lines out the door for three hours. Then, it went down to 400 workers. [The deli] wasn’t worth the space.”

Walano was “in charge of everyday stuff” like billing and the purchase of beer and liquor.

“Everything except the wine,” he said. “I learned a lot because the store wasn’t doing much business then.”

There wasn’t much on the shelves, he recalled. That’s changed.

Main Street offers more than 2,500 bottles of wine, more than 300 vodkas, more than 300 box and jug wines, almost 250 different bourbons and more than 150 types of single malt scotch, according to the store’s website.

Prefer beer? They have almost 200 imported beers and more than 650 domestic beers. Selling more than 120 seltzers and you’ll see why they need 10,000 square feet of space.

John Fotopoulos credits Walano for the store’s staying power.

“He is extremely dedicated, devoted to this business. It’s not just a job for John. It’s his life’s passion,” John Fotopoulos said. “He wants the customers to have a great experience here in the store.”

Main Street Wines & Spirits endured those first couple of “tough” years by focusing on customer service. Saying “hello” when customers come in and “thank you” when they leave goes a long way, Walano said.

“The first and last face they see is the cashier,” Walano said. “I appreciate people coming in here. There’s a lot of competition out there.”

Battling for sales with heavy hitters like Binny’s Beverage Depot and Kenwood Liquors “is not easy and takes a lot of work,” he said.

But Main Street and other family-owned stores do survive. They often team together in a co-op. Several stores buy in bulk together, enabling them to compete with the larger chains’ sales prices.

“You order a certain number of cases with all the stores, you get a special price,” Walano said.

Being located on a busy street like La Grange Road has helped.

“I love our location. Countryside is fantastic to work with. No complaints at all,” Walano said. “A clean store is No. 1. Keep it updated as much as you can.”

He hopes to buy the building they’ve rented for decades. Basement storage “is really important,” especially for wine, he said.

“Good storage. Consistent temperature,” he said.

Walano and Fotopoulos pride themselves on offering a wide selection of alcoholic beverages.

“Everything’s changing constantly. It’s important to keep up with it,” Walano said.

The explosion in popularity for whiskey and bourbon has seen a former half-aisle blossom to fill two full aisles.

“The big trend now are the THC-infused drinks. There’s going to be a lot of different things. Beers,” he said. “We taste a lot of things that come in. A lot of new local craft breweries. The NA [non-alcoholic] beers are more popular now. Good, quality beers,” Walano said.

Main Street Wines & Spirits sells beer made by area craft brewers like Buckle Down Brewing on 47th Street in Lyons.

Wine represents about 40% of the floor space. Wine director Jeff Sukowski makes sure the selection fits all budgets.

“There’s so much good wine out there,” Walano said. “I like all wines.”

Wine tastings are held from 2 to 6 p.m. every Saturday with various themes. Reds and whites will be featured on Sept. 6 and wines from 90+ Cellars will be featured Sept. 13.

Fotopoulos said tastings are more than just about wine.

“It’s a great avenue to meet others and make new friends,” he said. “They go out together for dinner after tastings.”

Gaming machines were a new addition in 2018.

“It’s a good clientele that comes in. It’s relaxing. And, we get some big winners sometimes,” Walano said.

Walano works six days a week, only taking off Sunday.

“I love it. I still enjoy it. It’s fun dealing with customers. The business is constantly changing. You take pride in ownership. I’m outside sweeping the parking lot,” he said.

Plans include replacing a three-car garage on the east side of the building with a 24-space parking lot. A rear entrance will be added. Both should be ready for 2026.

On Aug. 23, Greg McElvogue, 62, a 35-year resident of La Grange, was searching for Sun Cruiser Iced Tea Vodka. Walano found a couple of packs.

“I’m here all the time. These guys help me out on a regular basis. I don’t go anywhere else,” McElvogue said. “When I need some wine and champagne, I come in. I do their tastings. I’m learning and it always helps me out.”

Yes, a family-owned store employs family. Walano’s daughter Brittany, one of his four children, is the beer buyer and a manager.

“For a family business to be here 40 years, it’s a testimony to John, who has been here from Day 1,” Fotopoulos said. “Even though we are equal partners, John runs the store, takes care of the day-to-day operations. And John knows the business. He’s been doing it for 40 years.”