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Aug. 23-29, 2019 Your Neighborhood — Your News®
THE NEWSPAPER OF FLUSHING, AUBURNDALE, KEW GARDENS HILLS & FRESH MEADOWS
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Flushing frets new liquor mega-mart
Small businesses banding together to battle expansion of regional retailer
(From l. to r.) Employers Nicholas Alma, Joey Demarco, and Frank Mortagua, owner of Marpat Wines and Liquors, are banding together with
other local businesses to prevent the opening of a new Total Wine & More store in the area. Photo by Carlotta Mohamed/QNS
Vol. 28 No. 34 60 total pages
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Employers at Marpat
Wines and Liquors store in
Flushing are fearing the worst
— the possible shutdown of
their business and jobs if
Total Wine & More, a fastgrowing
chain of nearly 200
stores, sets up shop across
the street.
Marpat Wines and
Liquors, located at 3112
Farrington St., has been
operating in the community
for 53 years selling the best
selection of wines and liquors
from around the world, and
owner Frank Mortagua
is preparing to fight back
against the superstore to keep
his business open, he says.
“I can’t sleep. This is like
a nightmare,” Mortagua said.
“It’s an injustice to take my
family-owned business, not
only mine, but all of the local
liquor stores out of business.
We try to make a buck …
that’s their intention, to take
everyone out of business.”
Mortagua, among others
in the community, received
a letter on Aug. 19 from
entrepreneur, Michelle
Trone, who has filed an
application to open the
wine and spirits store in
the College Point area at the
space previously occupied
by Toys R Us, located at 30-
02 Whitestone Expressway,
next to Party City. Trone is
requesting all signed letters
in support of her application
to be returned by Sept. 7.
“I am excited to bring
this unique and wonderful
experience to Queens,” Trone
said in the letter. “As you may
know, a Total Wine & More
store offers an incredible
selection of over 8,000 wines,
3,000 spirits and 2,500 beers,
all at the most competitive
prices possible.”
“To make shopping
convenient, right next to the
wine and spirits store, there
will also be an incredible
beer and food store — offering
local and global beers, as well
as delicious and unique New
York foods and gifts. I am
particularly proud we will be
offering the largest and best
selection of New York-made
beers, wines and spirits,”
Trone said.
Known as the “Walmart of
liquor” Total Wine & Liquor
were denied a liquor license
to open a 21,000-square-foot
store near White Plains in a
decision last December that
followed opposition letters
from 25 state lawmakers
and a three-hour hearing,
in which the New York State
Liquor Authority ruled that
“Westchester is already
oversaturated with liquor
shops,” the NY Post reported.
“The stores from Long
Island and Westchester
there banded together and
they fought it. They didn’t
get their license, and now
they’re coming here,” said
Joey Demarco, who has been
working at Marpat Wines
and Liquors for 16 years.
“Them coming here, we’ll
be ground zero; we won’t
be able to last. I’m sure
other stores in Flushing,
all other areas such as
Corona and Whitestone will
feel it. It would not only
affect small businesses,
but also the sales people
for the distributors would
be greatly affected by the
number of stores that could
potentially close.”
Demarco said they have
contacted eight other liquor
stores thus far and will have
their first meeting in the first
week of September. They’re
also planning on getting
a lawyer.
For Nicholas Alma, 25,
who is a full-time worker at
Marpat Wines and Liquors,
this is his only job at the
moment, and he is ready “to
take it with the punches and
roll with them.”
“I’m pretty sad about
it, just counting my days,”
Alma said. “If I lose this
job, it would hurt because
it’s going back to square one
looking for another job. It’s
great for them, but not for us.
They’ll probably take over all
of Queens.”
/TIMESLEDGER.COM
