Business phone system for beer, wine and liquor stores in Illinois

How many beer, wine and liquor stores operate in Illinois

The Census Bureau counted 1,496 beer, wine and liquor stores in Illinois in its 2023 County Business Patterns (NAICS 445310). They employed 6,993 people in mid-March and reported $206.1 million in annual payroll. That is the 9th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Beer, wine and liquor stores make up 0.46% of the 322,415 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Illinois has 11.8 beer, wine and liquor stores, 9.9% above the national rate of 10.7. The average establishment has 4.7 employees against 5.3 nationally. Payroll per employee is $29,471, 4.7% above the U.S. figure of $28,143.

Beer, wine and liquor stores by metro area in Illinois

Census published liquor store counts for 30 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Illinois. The largest is Chicago, IL-IN, with 1,173 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 18% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Team sizes at beer, wine and liquor stores in Illinois

71.2% of Illinois's beer, wine and liquor stores with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 61.7% nationally. 89.4% had fewer than ten. At that size the phone is shared, so routing (who rings, when, and what happens after hours) matters more than the number of desk phones.

Why the phone matters for beer, wine and liquor stores in Illinois

Liquor stores field calls about stock, special orders and event quantities. Calls from event planners and restaurants are often time-sensitive. That holds for beer, wine and liquor stores in Illinois as much as anywhere.

Typical inbound and outbound calls for beer, wine and liquor stores in Illinois:

• A customer calls about a special order.
• The store calls a customer when an order arrives.
• A customer calls about hours.

Business texting for beer, wine and liquor stores

Stores text special-order notices.

Texting from a local number in Illinois requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.

What a phone system costs a liquor store in Illinois

Beer, wine and liquor stores in Illinois average 4.7 employees, so the comparison uses a 5-person team. Per-seat business phone plans bill every one of those people. At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 5 users on RingCentral RingEX Core cost $150.00 a month and 5 on Ooma Office Pro cost $124.75. Callata comes to $99.00 a month for 5 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Over a year, that is $612 less than RingCentral for a liquor store in Illinois of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.

Area codes in Illinois

Illinois has 17 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a liquor store can hold a number in more than one of them.

How Callata works for beer, wine and liquor stores in Illinois

Callata is a business phone system priced at $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user. Callata Office includes up to 3 local business numbers, unlimited inbound calling, 1,500 pooled outbound US and Canada minutes per user each month, a browser softphone that can also ring your cell, voicemail with transcription, call recording with AI summaries, business-hours routing and E911 on every number.

Porting a number you already use in Illinois is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.