I'm not sorry to see Sam's go

They were incompetent snobs

08/04/2009 10:58 AM

By Bonnie McGrath

21 Comments - Add Your Comment




I could have told you it was going to happen as early as day 1. Sam’s Wines and Spirits at Roosevelt and Wabash in the nicely restored bus depot building was a goner from the start. And it has nothing whatsoever to do with the outside world--the recession, no huge infusion of new residents in the South Loop--or anything else that happened outside the store itself.

Sam’s is closing Sunday because it was a lousy store.

Yeah, a few (a very few) of their employees had a smile on their faces. But not enough. Most were big scowlers, unhelpful and much too important to ever be bothered to tell a visitor where something was, or what the bargains were. They only wanted to hang out in groups and talk to each other.

If you wanted a certain cheese, they stuck their noses in the air and pushed something else on you that was already cut. If they would help you at all. The cashiers were always tired and put upon. And the booze itself was not the least bit attractive or inviting the way they piled it around the dimly lit, limited hours place of business.

In a cavernous former bus station, does it really make sense to put half the wines on the ground floor and the other half in the basement? I mean, you come in for a varietal--and if you were interested in one made in various countries of the world, you had to go to as many sections as countries, more often than not on two floors. What a way to organize a liquor store!

If you wanted to have an informal get together, they wouldn’t take reservations unless you wanted the temperature controlled tasting room--for hundreds of dollars down--or the rooftop deck for thousands of dollars down. The management at our neighborhood Sam’s was tight-assed. And never, ever in the last two years did I hear of any group that actually reserved the tasting room or the roof top deck. They were always empty as far as I could see. And I could see why.

Yeah, they had a few beautiful people at the bar drinking a glass of wine now and then, but just as often you would see a bunch of hobos drinking cheap beer out of cans, sprawled on the couches and chairs--furniture that was so big and set up so far apart that it was hard to talk. The checks, when presented after a few drinks at the bar or on the couch--didn’t have a place for a tip for the bartender so you couldn’t include it on your credit card. You had to have cash for a tip or your server was out of luck. And you never knew what was going to be on the cheese platter--a couple slices of Swiss-like cheese and crackers and dried cranberries, or???? Something else like dried beef jerky. They were pretty tight-lipped about what the offerings were. Just take it or leave it, chump.

Sam’s was dirty, cold, crummy and creepy. You couldn’t go in and out of the many doors at will. You had to come in one and out another no matter that you were often the better part of a block from where you started or wanted to be. They had their brown shirt rules and the customer could go to hell.

And by the way, did I mention that the bargain wines weren’t a bargain? Because they tasted bad. In order to get a good wine at Sam’s you had to spend money. And the crackers were often stale. The cheese was smelly and the stock wasn’t restocked.

Sam’s was a miserable place at Roosevelt and Wabash and if it wasn’t for the fact that a big beautiful centrally located spot is going to be emptier than an ice rink in summer, I’m glad to see them go. I tried to be a customer. But they made it impossible.

Everyone thought they would put the little wine stores that pepper the neighborhood out of business--but in the end, it turned out to be the other way around. And it’s just fine with me. The little places are nice. And will share a bargain. And give you a kind word and some consideration. Sam’s wouldn’t give you the time of day.


21 Comments - Add Your Comment



By bonnie mcgrath from south loop
Posted: 11/04/2009 9:39 PM

Thought I would mention--even at this late date--that I suddenly resent even more Sam's trying to blame the slowed growth of the neighborhood for its demise, when just a few weeks later we found out about Sam's merger with Binny's--and as we all know, Binny's has a burgeoning store just five blocks away. Very disingenuous of Sam's.


By Jules from Ravenswood
Posted: 08/15/2009 5:40 PM

Nice piece, Bonnie! I never liked Sam's. They were never helpful. I remember asking them about Sea Smoke wines and they looked at me like I was speaking Klingon. One guy said he had never heard of it so it must not be good wine. I walked out and never returned.


By Papu from River North
Posted: 08/13/2009 1:21 PM

I used to live about two blocks from here and was delighted to hear Sam's was opening there I can't say that I had good or bad service there, but I would say that the South Loop shopping area is not very customer focused. I have had horrible experiences at both the Jewel on Roosevelt and the Target on Clark. Large companies seem to have no concept of customer service in this area. This is why Strack & Van Til is does well. If an employee is not able to treat customers well, fire them!


By Kate and Brian from South Loop
Posted: 08/12/2009 2:39 PM

If Trader Joe\'s representatives are reading...you have two loyal customers lined up here.


By Debra LePage from south loop
Posted: 08/10/2009 7:20 PM

Agree with the poor attitude at check out. We love a little privately owned wine store on S. Michigan where the interaction is very positive.


By ChicagoSchool from Printers Row
Posted: 08/10/2009 3:45 PM

Sam's SL's selection and low prices will be missed. Most shoppers don't expect to make friends with the store's employees. Let's just hope it's replaced with a new community-welcomed retail establishment. Retail's been especially battered in this economic climate. Wasn't Fox&Obel previously interested in that space? Trader Joes a possibility?


By DB from South Loop
Posted: 08/07/2009 5:34 PM

Yes, let's all celebrate the failing of business because we think they are snobs or, gasp, asked us for our ID when using a credit card. After all, we don't need tax income to buy the Obama healthcare plan...it is all free, free I tell you. The small mindedness of these editorial really give hope for 'change'.


By MW from Printer's Row
Posted: 08/07/2009 11:30 AM

Did anyone think to bring these issues to management early on so they could be corrected? Hate to see this space go back to unused eyesore.


By judy marcus from palatine
Posted: 08/07/2009 9:52 AM

if only the management had seen your comments a a year ago. they should use your column as a teaching tool for furture retailers.


By Matt from South Loop
Posted: 08/05/2009 8:20 PM

I was surprised to see that it had been open since 2007. I really wanted to like the place but I agree, the layout was strange, and the staff unhelpful. So although, I love to try new wines but I was only in that store a couple of times. I am looking forward to seeing who takes up that space.


By Mary from South Loop
Posted: 08/05/2009 4:47 PM

I am sorry to see any good business possibility close, but Bonnie, you got it right. To survive a business has to offer good service. I would add good manners. Smiling and being customer friendly makes all the difference where I decide to spend my cash. For example, people at Target are trained to ask questions about my shopping and I make it a point to be pleasant in return. Manners are the grease of human interaction, a skill of greatness and basic respect. Thanks for this one!


By Stephen Reginald from South Loop
Posted: 08/05/2009 7:26 AM

As a regular reader of your columns, I think this ranks up there with the very best. It was so good I linked it to my blog: http://southloopconnection.blogspot.com/ According to folks we've spoken with, you were spot on. Good job.


By JJ from SL
Posted: 08/05/2009 0:01 AM

I frequented the SL location and enjoyed many of the grand tastings they held over the last year or two. I felt the staff were friendly and tried to help you find a nice bottle in your price range. It's sad that these individuals, who I'm guessing weren't pulling in that much money, are the one's who will suffer. The real culprit are the Brian Rosen's and other Corporate Heads who let greed, uneducated decisions and plain stupidity destroy a store that could have been more than successful.


By Krakow from South Loop
Posted: 08/04/2009 8:40 PM

Couldn't agree more regarding the cashiers. My god, what a bunch of sullen, downtrodden, slowfingered group of people. Must be a Sam's tradition.


By PS from South Loop
Posted: 08/04/2009 5:46 PM

I had a completely different experience at the South Loop Sam's. I thought all of the employees were exceptionally friendly and helpful, including the guys at the gourmet food section. We enjoyed sitting at the wine bar, where they had glasses of wine for a great price, and great pours, and the menu always had something new that we'd never otherwise think to try. I'm sad to see it go and wish all the employees there well.


By Jesus from South Loop
Posted: 08/04/2009 5:26 PM

Good riddance, The fine people of the south loop community deserve a better liquor store than Sam's. We shouldn't be made to walk all the way across the store to exit, when we could walk out the revolving door without paying for our nine dollar bottle of wine. With a staff that is surely making ten dollars an hour they should be waiting on us hand and foot, and be thankful that they have jobs serving us fine people. Where do they get off serving the general public beer at their wine bar. A sham


By Tina from South Loop
Posted: 08/04/2009 3:22 PM

I'm more concerned with having a vacant building on the corner of Wabash and Roosevelt than Sam's leaving the neighborhood. I only went in there once. There are plenty of other small, well-established wine shops throughout the South Loop where I preferred to shop. See ya, Sam's.


By DB II DN from DBII
Posted: 08/04/2009 2:57 PM

Maybe you should run for office and show us all how it should be done.


By ---- ALDERMAN, TEAR DOWN THIS FENCE ---- from ---- MAD AS HELL IN DEARBORN PARK II ----
Posted: 08/04/2009 12:45 PM

If only it was as easy to get rid of a bad principal, or a bad alderman, or any bad local politician, as it was to get rid of a bad wine shop, Chicago would be a much better place to live.


By Paul from Wrigleyville I
Posted: 08/04/2009 12:20 PM

I only went in there once, with Molly, and I got a bad feeling.


By Dan Haley from Oak Park
Posted: 08/04/2009 11:41 AM

Now that, Bonnie, is the local perspective after reading the Crain's and Trib coverage of the alleged "macro" reasons the store failed. Hard to get past being dirty, cold, crummy and creepy as good reasons for a store to close. Proof again you can't beat community journalism. Dan