SCHAEFER'S, INC.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA

At Schaefer’s, we know that our quality products, good values, and dedication to customer service are the reasons we exist. CAP demonstrates our appeciation for your loyalty. In the 1950s a newly remodeled store, with an expanded wine operation, was to have its grand opening on February 20, 1959. Three days prior, however George Schaefer, Sr. suffered a heart attack, and died the night of the opening. Stepping into this void, unexpectedly, was George’s wife, Eileen. With her innate sense of business, Eileen built an ever expanding and thriving business. Schaefer’s isn’t just a place, nor just goods and services. The people make it unique. No other store is as old as we are, and no other store has such an experienced staff. Many on Schaefer’s team have been here for a decade or two. In a small retail business, that kind of longevity and loyalty is almost unparalleled. Is it the wine? Perhaps, but it’s also people who derive a great satisfaction from providing the unequaled service Schaefer’s offers its customers. Anje is the third generation of Schaefer to lead the business. She graduated from Regis University, in Denver, in 1997, with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration, and, in 1998, she received her master’s degree in business administration. She joined her father, George, and her aunt Gene at Schaefer’s in 1999. After so many years spent crunching numbers, she spent the fall of 1999 crunching Gewurztraminer grapes and learning the ins and outs of winemaking on an internship at Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley Vineyards. No one who visits our food department comes away without meeting Mary, who manages the department and is one of the store managers. She likes the fast pace and the camaraderie at Schaefer’s. Customers look to Mary for her ideas and her quick, no-nonsense solutions to their entertaining challenges. Need appetizers for 60 people in an hour? A picnic basket to impress a first date? A hostess gift for an impossible-to-please potential in-law? Let Mary help. She also has a talent for enabling her customers to entertain with hassle-free confidence, providing do-it-yourself advice on everything from a wine-and-cheese tasting to helping decipher oddball recipes with hard-to-find ingredients. Mary shares a passion for food that is rivaled by very few people. It may have to do with growing up in a large family, but Mary enjoys cooking on her days off for her family, and spends spare time researching ingredients for special meals. But we all have passions outside our first love, and for Mary it’s fishing. Mary is also our authority on all things Iberian: foods, wines, culture and bullfighters. Vee was born and raised in a small town called Chicago. In 1992, while studying Culinary arts at Kendall College in Evanston, Vee wanted to learn more about food and wine and worked at Schaefer’s for the next 2-1/2 years. After graduating, he worked at the Park Hyatt hotel, had his own restaurant, catering company, and became, and still is, a personal chef. Eighteen years later, he is thrilled to back where it all started! Through his culinary travel adventures, he spent close to a year in Europe. He learned the classic methods and techniques of the European cuisines of France, Switzerland, and Italy. He also learned to appreciate the finesse of old world wines and how they meld with the regional cuisine. Working in New Orleans, he developed a fondness for the south and dedicates parts of his summer to civil war re-enactments! After college, Jackie moved from her small Indiana town to master the restaurant world. As General Manager, she learned to love fine wine and craft beer. But eight years later, Napa, California called her name to learn even more about the wine industry – and in a flash, she was on her way. While in Napa, she worked at one of the best wineries in the world – Joseph Phelps Vineyards. For the next two years she gained a great sense for both local California wines and wines from around the world. Before coming back to Chicago in 2013, Jackie learned to home brew from a colleague and immediately fell in love with the process. Since then, she has brewed over 50 beers and continues to improve her process while working and assisting customers George met Peter Sichel’s young sons in the courtyard at Château Palmer ca. 1971 (The one on the right – behind George, James, now runs the family export business.) Becky Wasserman and Russell Hoyne Need Help? We’re Here to Help! The Best Customer Service in Town.