Anthony Wonski, long-time owner of Town Hall Deli, has opened Morgan’s — a new wine, beer and spirits shop at 309 Irvington Avenue in Seton Village.
An affable and retail-savvy guy – you can call him Tony (everyone else does) – Wonski and his wife Beth have lived in South Orange for 24 years. “Our gist here is to be a neighborhood liquor store, not a quick place to buy small bottles or just to sell to anyone in particular.”
With a special affection for local history, Wonski told Village Green that the original Town Hall Deli, an 87-year-old local institution he bought in 2003, came with a seldom-used liquor license. However, Wonski’s South Orange deli space was too small to accommodate the kind of wine and liquor inventory that he wanted to offer his local customers. “I decided to split the two stores apart, and move to another location in town,” he said. “I thought I could make it work up here.”
‘Up here’ means Seton Village, a renovated strip of stores close to Seton Hall University and the Montrose and Tuxedo Park sections of South Orange, which local business leaders hope will attract renewed retail interest and foot traffic.
The Wonskis spent a year remodeling the whole building (a former kosher meat store, which had been vacant for five years), and opened for business on September 1.
Wonski explains that a nearby store with a liquor license disappeared after it allowed its back taxes to pile up, creating opportunity.
“There is a huge need for shops and restaurants,” says Tony. “Overall, the clientele we’re getting are local people who live in the area, which makes me very happy. I was surprised: everyone comes in and says, ‘I live up the block.’ I had no idea how many locals would come in! It’s been great.”
Years in the area food service business taught Tony what did and didn’t do well.
“The improvement that the Wonskis have brought to Seton Village with Morgan’s Beer Wine and Spirits can not be overstated,” wrote Doug Zacker, Chair of the Seton Village Committee, in an email to Village Green. “They invested heavily in their building, with an eye on improving the overall look and feel of Seton Village. This is exactly what is needed [here]. They are also serving the community with an outstanding selection, convenient hours, and magnificently helpful staff.”
Zacker added, “We expect Morgan’s to also be great for Seton Village’s restaurants as patrons can swing by Morgan’s for beer or wine before eating.”
A tour of the bright and clean new store, given by Tony and his manager Mandeep Singh, yields sections that highlight “Bestsellers from the Prior Week”, “90+ Wines” (highly rated wines), affordable wines below $14.99, and a good selection of international wines organized by country and region.
Morgan’s also stocks more than 100 different craft and regular beers, 300 types of wine, and (according to Tony) every type of liquor available — including hard-to-find brands.
Fridays usually bring tastings between 3-7 p.m., and wines are competitively priced in spite of Morgan’s being a mom-and-pop outfit. The store also gives a case discount of 10% on in-stock or special orders and offers free delivery with a minimum purchase of $25. “I’m playing with the idea of consigning wine,” muses Tony. “This would mean if you buy for a party and don’t drink it, you could return 20% of the unused portion.”
Of note is Morgan’s giant walk-in refrigerator, called the “Beer Cave,” which boasts wall-to-wall cold brews in six packs and cases, so customers can self-select.
“If there is something you want and we don’t have it, usually we can order it for you and have it on the shelf the following week,” says Wonski. “We want to be that kind of local store.”
Morgan’s Wine Beer & Spirits, 309 Irvington Ave (Between Ward Place & Fairview Ave), 973-821-5773, MorgansLiquors@gmail.com, www.MorgansLiquors.com
Hours:
Mon- Sat 10:00 AM -10:00 PM
Sun Noon – 8:00 PM
