Beginning humbly in 1985 with twelve hundred square feet, Phil and Terry Woodard opened Kirby Liquor and Wines in the Kirby Gate shopping center. It was the first shopping center as far as the eye could see and there was only a stop sign at the intersection of Kirby Parkway and Quince Road. The Woodard’s experience in the business was limited to a South Memphis package store on Florida Street they had purchased from Phil’s father. But, with the population moving farther east they saw a need and took the leap. The wine industry was in a boom in the 80’s and the Woodard’s built a diverse wine inventory driven primarily from customer requests. The store has expanded five times and is now 8,000 square feet. There was also a name change to “Kirby Wines and Liquors” to reflect the focus of the store.