In the early days the store was selling about $7 of product each day. Displeased with the produce available from local vendors, Ezra engineered a new supply line by taking the train to Chicago several times a week to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables to bring back to Madison. Soon the news of his quality product and selection spread within the capital community, with local restaurants approaching him to supply their businesses with produce.
As his store grew, Ezra saw an opportunity to expand his business and seized on it. In 1921, Ezra founded the Frank Fruit Company, a wholesale fruit distribution business that expanded his idea to reimagine supply lines and aimed at providing local businesses in Madison with fresh, high-quality produce. This endeavor flourished, as did the Frank Orchard in Gays Mills, Wisconsin. Frank Orchards grew to be one of the largest apple orchards in the United States.
Following the repeal of Volstead Act and the end of prohibition, many fruit distributors were approached to sell beer, liquor, and wine to their local markets. Owing to their already established infrastructure and delivery networks, produce purveyors were ideal for jumpstarting the alcohol beverage market. Moreover, grocers' often owned and maintained cold storage facilities, which were paramount in keeping product fresh and could be used for the storage of beer. In 1933, Ezra reconfigured his company and founded the Frank Liquor Company to meet the booming demand, and the rest is history.
A proud, family-owned and operated business, the Frank Beverage Group grew from a humble, two-person operation to a company that now employs over 950 professionals. The business has always placed an emphasis on relationships, from educating customers with knowledge of the latest products to creative promotions and an overall ease of doing business through communicative teamwork. For four generations, the dedication to service has continuously inspired new ways of delivering value to both customers and suppliers alike.
It’s what led the company to build a state-of-the-art sales and service facility with a sophisticated operating system to ensure a seamless ordering experience for all of Frank’s partners.
Today Frank Beverage Group operates a unique statewide companion distributor network through the state of Wisconsin which includes Badger Liquor (Wine and Spirits) and The Wisconsin Beverage network (Beer).
Frank Beverage Group is the parent company to four distinct but related distributors:
- Frank Liquor Company — Middleton, Wisconsin
- Frank Beer Distributors — Middleton, Wisconsin
- La Crosse Beverage — Onalaska, Wisconsin
- Beer Capitol — Sussex, Wisconsin
To learn more about any of the Frank Beverage Group operators, please contact our corporate offices or read more online.
