CallataGuides

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

1,578 beer, wine and liquor stores operated in Michigan in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.

Establishments
1,578CBP 2023
Employees
6,252mid-March 2023
Per 100k residents
15.6U.S. 10.7
State rank
6th of 51by count

The liquor store industry in Michigan

County Business Patterns counts 1,578 establishments in Michigan classified as Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores (NAICS 445310) for 2023. They employed 6,252 people in mid-March and reported $157.0 million in annual payroll. That is the 6th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Beer, wine and liquor stores make up 0.69% of the 229,564 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Michigan has 15.6 beer, wine and liquor stores, 45.3% above the national rate of 10.7. The average establishment has 4.0 employees against 5.3 nationally. Payroll per employee is $25,113, 10.8% below the U.S. figure of $28,143.

Beer, wine and liquor stores: Michigan compared with the U.S., 2023
MeasureMichiganUnited States
Establishments1,57836,433
Mid-March employees6,252193,533
Annual payroll$157,008,000$5,446,519,000
Employees per establishment4.05.3
Payroll per employee$25,113$28,143
Establishments per 100,000 residents15.610.7

Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

Where beer, wine and liquor stores in Michigan are concentrated

Census published liquor store counts for 30 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Michigan. The largest is Detroit, MI, with 856 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 95% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Beer, wine and liquor stores by metro or micropolitan area, Michigan, 2023
AreaEstablishmentsEmployeesPer 100k residents
Detroit, MI8563,25119.5
Grand Rapids, MI1145699.7
Flint, MI8527921.1
Lansing, MI6221412.9
Ann Arbor, MI5423714.4
Kalamazoo, MI4514717.0
South Bend, IN-MI4226712.9
Saginaw, MI4212522.4
Niles, MI2912419.0
Battle Creek, MI2912821.7
Monroe, MI2411015.4
Jackson, MI2315114.4
Traverse City, MI189011.5
Holland, MI18—14.7
Muskegon, MI17—9.6
Bay City, MI156614.6
Adrian, MI9—9.2
Marquette, MI9—13.2
Midland, MI6417.1
Petoskey, MI62617.7
Ludington, MI6—20.6
Mount Pleasant, MI4—6.1
Cadillac, MI4—8.0
Coldwater, MI4—8.7
Alma, MI4—9.7

Top 25 of 30 areas by establishments. Source: Census CBP 2023.

Team sizes at beer, wine and liquor stores in Michigan

70.0% of Michigan's beer, wine and liquor stores with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 61.7% nationally. 94.9% had fewer than ten. That is the size of team where a missed call usually means nobody was free, not that nobody was on staff.

Beer, wine and liquor stores in Michigan by employment size, 2023
Employment sizeEstablishmentsShareU.S. share
1–4 employees1,10470.0%61.7%
5–9 employees39324.9%24.8%
10–19 employees654.1%10.2%
20–49 employees151.0%2.9%
50 or more employees00.0%0.3%

Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.

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

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 Michigan as much as anywhere.

A few of the calls that come in to beer, wine and liquor stores in Michigan:

When nobody can pick up

After-hours calls are mostly stock and hours questions.

Callata voicemail is transcribed and triaged for urgency, and business-hours routing decides where calls go once you close.

Phone system pricing for a 4-person liquor store

Beer, wine and liquor stores in Michigan average 4.0 employees, so the comparison uses a 4-person team. Per-seat business phone plans bill every one of those people. At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 4 users on RingCentral RingEX Core cost $120.00 a month and 4 on Ooma Office Pro cost $99.80. On Callata the same 4 people cost $99.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.

The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $252. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.

Monthly list price for a 4-person liquor store
Provider (plan)Pricing basisPer monthPer year
Callata (Callata Office)$99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user$99.00$1,188.00
Quo (Starter)$19.00 per user$76.00$912.00
Nextiva (Core)$23.00 per user$92.00$1,104.00
Ooma (Office Pro)$24.95 per user$99.80$1,197.60
Dialpad (Standard)$27.00 per user$108.00$1,296.00
RingCentral (RingEX Core)$30.00 per user$120.00$1,440.00

Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.

Area codes in Michigan

Michigan has 13 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. You can choose local numbers in the area codes your customers know, subject to carrier inventory, or port your current number for free.

Area codes in Michigan by assigned exchanges
Area codeExchangesTime zoneIn service sinceOverlay with
248784Eastern1997947
313769Eastern1947679
989724Eastern2001none
734701Eastern1997679
517616Eastern1947none
231572Eastern1999none
586546Eastern2001none
269545Eastern2002none
616545Eastern1947none
810509Eastern1993none
906360Eastern and Central1961none
947211Eastern2002248
6790Eastern2025313

Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.

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

Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.

If you already have a number in Michigan, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.

Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.

Frequently asked questions

How many beer, wine and liquor stores are in Michigan?

1,578 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 6,252 people in mid-March.

Which Michigan metro area has the most beer, wine and liquor stores?

Detroit, MI, with 856 establishments in 2023.

What does a phone system cost a 4-person liquor store?

$120.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $99.80 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $99.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).

Do I need to register to text customers from a Michigan number?

Yes. US carriers require business texting from local numbers to be registered (10DLC). On Callata the registration is a one-time $49 fee, and texting turns on once it is approved.