Chet's Wine and Brewsky in Lilydale Celebrates 50 Years of a Family Tradition

It takes drive and determination to keep a business going for 50 years. This according to Gregg Voss, co-owner with his brother, Tom Voss, of in Lilydale.

“You never know if you’re going to succeed,” said Gregg. “You just have to keep your nose to the grindstone.”

That mindset is something that Tom and Gregg say their father instilled in them. Their father, Chester M. Voss, or "Chet," is both the spirit and the namesake of the business.

In August, Chet’s Wine and Brewsky, at 974 Sibley Memorial Highway, will celebrate its 50^th year in operation.

The current store still exists on the land where their father opened it in 1961. Gregg said they even have a few cement blocks from the original building laying around the current store somewhere.

Gregg and Tom come from generations of entrepreneurs. Chet was a grocer before he opened the liquor store on August 15, 1961. His father owned a hardware store among other businesses, and his grandfather was a tailor.

When Chet passed away in 1977, Tom and Gregg, who had both been working there for years, had to decide what to do with the business. At that time, Tom said it was a “marginal business at best.”

“My brother and I looked at each other like, ‘What are we going to do?’ and we made something out of it,” Tom said. “I’m pretty proud of what we accomplished.”

Both said they learned everything they needed from their dad.

“He was a go-getter,” Tom said. “He made stuff happen.”

Their father was very astute, Tom said, when it came to purchasing—and that attention to detail has carried over into current practices.

In 1996, the opportunity came up for the brothers to buy the land they had been renting for years and upgrade their business. Chet’s Wine and Brewsky went from an 880-square-foot store, which Gregg called “a little garage,” to the 6,400-square-foot business it has been for the past 15 years.

“I guess you always dream larger,” Gregg said.

Tom, the youngest brother, and Gregg, the oldest brother, also have a brother and a sister—neither of whom are involved His son is just finishing up college and most likely won’t follow in the family’s footsteps.

“I’m OK with that,” Tom said. “I want them to be happy in what they choose to do. It would be nice to pass it along, but you know, for some people it just doesn’t fit.”

Even if the business doesn’t pass to future generations, both brothers are committed to Chet’s in the here-and-now.

“We both work it, we’re both here,” Tom said. “We both care about it. We put a lot into it. We’ve got a great crew.”

Currently Chet’s Wine and Brewsky employs two full-time and five part-time employees in addition to Gregg and Tom.

 “It’s just laid back,” said Pat Hoban, a West St. Paul native who has worked at Chet’s for four years full time and part-time through his college years. “It’s a family place.” Hoban added many of his customers even knew Chet.

While Tom and Gregg said they aren’t sure what they will do to celebrate their 50^th anniversary, both said they want to do something to thank their customers.

They said to watch for ads and announcements regarding their 50^th anniversary celebration.