Founder, owner of the Wichita liquor store preferred by the local wine elite dies at 79
He was a soft-spoken, private man who preferred to stay behind the scenes. But Tom Jacob — the founder of one of Wichita’s premiere liquor and cigar stores — developed a business that became the go-to for local wine aficionados over the past 40 years.
Jacob, founder of Jacob Liquor Exchange, died Sunday in Wichita, said his children, Misha Jacob-Warren and Christopher Jacob. He was 79.
Jacob was an architect who had studied at Kansas State University and excelled in drawing. In the late 1970s, Jacob-Warren said, he called her mother and said, “I’m going to buy a liquor store.”
In the early days of the business, he operated out of an old gas station building at 2424 N. Woodlawn but later moved it to 2221 N. Woodlawn, then to 3300 N. Rock Road and then to 3049 N. Rock Road. In 2008, he announced plans to move the store again, this time taking over the 30,000 square-foot-space at 3045 N. Rock Road left vacant when Barnes & Noble closed and moved to Bradley Fair.
Jacob also owned and managed stores over the years at 604 N. Tyler and 11333 E. Kellogg, and in 1997, he opened a Jacob Liquor Exchange II at 10221 W. 21st St., which remains. But his massive Rock Road store became his flagship and a destination for Wichita’s wine and cigar elite.
Jacob’s store has the best wine and spirits selection in town, said Guy Bower, whose wine-focused talk show, “The Good Life” on KNSS radio, has been sponsored by Jacob since the mid 1990s.
“He was affable, quiet-spoken, a good manager and a good businessman,” Bower said. “If you were one of his employees and you did the work, he was behind you.”
Interestingly, said his daughter, Jacob was not much of a drinker — nor did he often hobnob with people enjoying his products.
Most of the time, he was back in his office at the Rock Road store, keeping things in order. He hired people he could rely on — including longtime manager April Wilson-Snow and well-known wine director Jamie Stratton. Both worked for Jacob for 21 years.
Stratton said that Jacob had become like family to him and taught him that the customer is always right, even when they’re not.
“His vision and passion for bringing great wine to Wichita and Kansas was unmatched by any retailer,” Stratton said. “His charitable nature was felt by many in the community. He gave out of true altruism.”
Jacob was willing to speak publicly when something was important to him, though, and over the years, he spoke on behalf of independent liquor stores to politicians in Wichita, Topeka and Washington, D.C., — and to the media — on topics like Sunday liquor sales, wine shipping laws and the efforts of Uncork Kansas, a group that’s long advocated for full-strength beer, wine and liquor sales in Kansas grocery and convenience stores.
Jacob continued to work as an architect while he built his liquor business, Warren said, but when architecture work became more computerized, he lost interest and focused on the stores.
He also joined the Wichita chapter of the American Institute of Wine & Food, said Bower, who founded the local chapter, and Jacob served on its board. He was key in the early success of the Midwest Winefest and helped organizers get discounted wine prices. He also connected them with wineries in California, Washington and Oregon.
He was at work as recently as last week, his daughter said, and he had already set everything up to make sure that the business would continue after he died, she said — and it will.
Jacob, who grew up in Wichita, was a lifelong member of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral.
Jacob-Warren said she’ll remember her father as an astute and humble family businessman.
“He was very quiet, very shy,” she said. “He never wanted to be recognized for anything. He never wanted his presence to be known... He was a very special man.”
Christopher Jacob said his father will be missed by many in Wichita.
“He was a father first, a father figure to many, and the highest example of both,” he said.
Services are scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, July 26, at St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral, 7515 E. 13th St.
This story was originally published July 20, 2021 at 5:01 AM.
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