Using Loss as Motivation with Jack Lester of Jack's Bottle Shop
Collider is passionate about sharing the stories of entrepreneurs and small business owners! We recently chatted with Jack Lester, who opened a craft beer bottle shop in 2020, about his experience.
Photo by Corrie Strommen
Jack Lester, owner of local craft beer hub, Jack’s Bottle Shop, developed his love of beer throughout his career in the service industry, which began shortly after graduating high school. Born and raised nearby in Zumbrota, Minnesota, Jack was drawn to Rochester by the restaurant industry, as well as the birth of his son, and began working at the Rochester Golf and Country Club.
“Working in the hospitality industry provided the stability and community that I needed at the time. I was young and I wasn’t sure where my life was heading. It was really special to find work that I was good at, passionate about, and happy doing.”
Jack recalls craft beer’s presence throughout his life, from the beers found in his father’s fridge, Mystery Beer Mondays at Whistle Binkies, and eventually helping with taps at the country club. After jumping onboard with the Forager team when the brewery and pub opened in 2015, the love of beer “really sank its hooks in deep.”
Photo by Corrie Strommen
“Being involved with the Forager beer program and being on staff as a head server introduced me to a whole other world of craft beer and in a lot of ways sparked my love for it and the community surrounding it.” Jack explained.
Jack attributes much of his inspiration for the bottle shop to his time at Forager. Alongside his work as a head server there, he also had the opportunity to work in brand advocacy, foster connections with other breweries, collaborate with chefs, and assist in beer education.
“The leadership at Forager is really great at empowering their staff from within and helping them in ways they want to grow as individuals as well as supporting their ideas.”
In 2019, Jack tragically lost his son, Marcus Tolbert, to illness. In the difficult months that followed, he found the craft beer and hospitality industry to be unwavering in their support, just as they had been throughout Marcus’ illness, through fundraising and financial support as their families navigated medical expenses and the loss of a loved one.
“In the end, I used that loss as motivation.” Jack said. “Coming back to work, I realized that I needed something more to consume my mind and sink my teeth into. I shared my idea for a bottle shop with some trusted individuals and they encouraged me to pursue the idea and really go for it.”
Jack’s Bottle Shop opened in December of 2020. The logo, murals, and fundraising efforts they would later facilitate were all created with the desire to keep Marcus’ spirit alive.
“We wanted to create a platform that we could, use not only to bring awareness to parents that have lost children, but also let them know that they’re not alone and that, no matter how dark the journey, we can continue to blossom, accomplish great things, and give back to our communities.”
Jack is grateful for the support he received from the community while opening the bottle shop. As with many new businesses, many challenges that accompanied opening centered around licensure, buildout of the space, and acquiring a liquor license.
“It can be frustrating to have to jump through hoops and navigate a lot of red tape as a small business that is just trying to create something cool for the community and elevate the product and service that you’re providing.” Jack said.
He continued, “But I was lucky to have people come alongside me who believed in my idea and story and were willing to walk me through some challenging parts of the process.”
Now open a little over two years, Jack’s Bottle Shop has grown to provide a wide variety of craft beers, as well as cider, wine, and spirits.
“I have a firm belief that everyone can be a beer drinker, there are just some people who haven’t been introduced to the right one yet.” Jack said with a laugh.
He continued, “We do a lot of homework and take a lot of pride in what we carry here so that we can provide an awesome selection for people who are passionate about what they’re drinking, whether that be the twelve pack they take fishing or the amazing bottle of wine they’re pairing with a nice dinner.”
“We also care a lot about the relationships we’re making with our customers, learning their palates and digging deeper to provide them with beers, wines, ciders, and spirits that they’ll love.”
Photo by Corrie Strommen
In coming months, Jack is excited to grow, both in size of space and offerings as they expand their wine, spirit, and educational programming to include classroom events, tastings, and home brewing classes.
Jack recently launched a series of “Dry January” tasting events in partnership with several local businesses such as Kowabucha Kombucha, The Fit Loon, Forager Cafe, Colorway Coffee, and Bitter and Pour.
“I think these events provide a great opportunity to support our shop during a slow month for the industry, as well as support and learn about other local businesses.”
Photo by Corrie Strommen
Jack has worked hard to create a thriving shop that adds value to his community and looks forward to continued growth, both in his business and within himself.
“For every person that believed in and supported me in this journey, there were also a lot of people that doubted me. It has been so rewarding building a business and watching it blossom into something I can be truly proud of. I fought hard for myself and this place; no one can take that away from me.”
Outside of his time at the bottle shop, Jack enjoys time spent with friends, family and his wife, Jenny, who is also a successful small business owner and restaurateur. Jack additionally loves live music, traveling, and golfing.
As a word of advice to anyone considering starting a business Jack said, “Dive in and take the risk. I learned very painfully how short life can be. I would encourage everyone to capitalize on their life journey and make as much of it as they can.”
Thank you for taking the time to read Jack’s story! If you find value in this content, please consider donating to help Collider continue amplifying the voices of Rochester entrepreneurs. You can also find out more about Jack’s Bottle Shop and upcoming events by clicking the links below!
Article by Corrie Strommen, Director of Community at Collider.
