Houston's Information

Prohibition was coming to an end when Esther and Jack Houston saw an opportunity to go into business, establishing the House of Vintages wine and spirits store in downtown Portland, OR. The year was 1933, and the legacy they would leave was just beginning to take shape. Years later, when Esther and Jack’s son John returned from his service in the U.S. Air Force, he continued the family legacy and joined his mother in the daily operation of the business, which had since transitioned into providing restaurant and bar supplies. John’s leadership would be instrumental in flourishing the company. Over the next 15 years, we quickly grew from a three-person business to a company with a 64,000 sq ft warehouse and over 35 trucks and drivers. By 1993, we had expanded our product lineup to include espresso supplies and coffee syrups, and we officially serviced 6 Western states with weekly deliveries. Houston’s has continued to grow and evolve since then into the company that we are today - a nationwide redistributor with two distribution centers totaling more than 240,000 sq ft. In 2005, after more than 30 years of leading the company, John decided it was time to pass on his family legacy to Bill Paolo, Greg Dann, Paul Henderson, and Greg Estes. In 2016, the next transition of leadership when the day-to-day operation of Houston’s was confided to President Jennifer Vigil and Executive Vice President Rebecca Phillips. Both are equipped with a deep understanding of Houston’s ins and outs, but more importantly, both possess the same energy, passion, and vision that have successfully helped us grow for more than 85 years. At Houston’s, we believe in people, not just products. Our job has always been to help link people together in ways that make doing business easier. As we continue to grow and adapt with a changing market, one thing remains at the core of our business - the relationships and connections we create between our vendor partners, our customers, and our staff.