Community backs Flushing wine store
Local entrepreneur gains support of some pols and community groups
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Business owner and entrepreneur
Michelle Trone,
who is seeking to open a Total
Wine & More store in Flushing,
is committed to partnering
with the local community
while coinciding with
mom-and-pop businesses.
Trone, 31, is the sole owner
of MCT New York Fine Wines
& Spirits LLC, who has applied
for a wine and liquor license at
30-02 Whitestone Expressway,
the former site of Toys ‘R’ Us
that has been vacant for almost
two years.
“This will be my first foray
into owning my own business,”
Trone said. “I’ve spent
a lot of time in New York for
work and for fun and Queens
always struck me as a great
neighborhood, very diverse,
growing and an interesting
place, where I thought having
a store with so many options
could really add to what’s
available. There’s nothing like
it in Queens.”
MCT New York Fine Wines
& Spirits LLC is a separate entity
from all other stores that
operate under the trade name
Total Wine & More — the first
and only license that Trone
seeks to hold. While Trone has
received a generous amount
of support for the store opening
in Queens, which will be
solely operated by her under
the name Total Wine & More,
she is also facing opposition
from local business owners
who fear losing their store,
jobs and customers.
However, Trone believes
they can co-exist together,
she said.
“It’s a different business
model. My store will be the
kind of place where customers
will come three to six times a
year to stock up for an occasion,
parties, holidays or an
event,” Trone said. “For a local
Friday night, where they
just want to pick up a bottle of
wine, they’ll still go to their local
mom-and-pop. Whenever a
Whole Foods or grocery opens
up, the local bodega doesn’t go
out of business; they’re for different
uses.”
Trone added, “I believe the
community in Queens needs
both of these types of stores.
There is also, historically,
looking at other Total Wines
The proposed location for Total Wine & More, located at 30-02 Whitestone Exwy. Photo via Google Maps
before and after they open, the
number of stores around it do
not go out of business. People
aren’t going to drive further to
buy one bottle of Chardonnay,
but they’ll probably drive further
away for five cases.”
Trone plans to open two
stores side by side — one licensed
to sell wine and spirits
(9,000-plus and 4,500-plus
liquor items) and the other to
sell beer and New York state
food products (1,400-plus New
York state wines, 350-plus
New York state spirits and
50-plus New York state ciders)
— to offer customers a
convenient experience.
“We’ll have New York
cheeses, apples, delis and also
convenient accessories such
as a wine opener and napkins,”
Trone said. “Most liquor
stores in Queens are just
selling liquor and wine, you
gotta go somewhere else for
your beer, or if you’re getting
beer they don’t have a license
to sell liquor … I wanted to
have both of those in one place
for customers.”
The store will be equipped
with wi-fi, wine/spirits educational
content on flat screens,
and wide aisles. Additionally,
there will be 461 parking spots,
including 280 directly in front
of the store. There will be a
focus on exceptional customer
service and education to help
consumers make decision and
plan their dinners and events.
“It’ll look like a Total Wine
and similar commitment to
service, but in other ways
it’ll be different,” Trone said.
“There will be a huge classroom
with free tastings every
day and customer classes led
by wine experts on cabernet
and other things.”
When the classroom is
not being used by the store
team for training and customer
education classes, it
will be available as a meeting
space, free of charge, to local
nonprofits, community and
business groups.
Trone is already planning
to donate a portion of the
store’s proceeds from opening
week to a local nonprofit.
She is committed to working
closely with community and
business leaders to support
local causes and charitable efforts.
The wine and spirits store
is expected to bring jobs to
Queens with approximately
175 team members, where 75
percent will be full-time, earning
high wages plus full benefits
(health care, 401K, partner
benefits, short- and long-term
disability) Trone said. They
also plan to hire returning
citizens, such as individuals
who have a criminal record
and are searching for jobs.
With the support of several
Queens politicians and local
organizations and receiving
more than 200 signatures from
individuals, Trone is hopeful
that the liquor license will be
approved to open the wine and
spirits store in Flushing.
“I’ve always wanted to open
up my own store, it’s something
I’ve thought about for a
long time,” Trone said. “This
will give the people of Queens
something they don’t currently
have from the assortment,
education, selection, and the
fact that I will be partnering
with the community through
charitable organizations. I
think overall, it will be a benefit
to the Queens community.”
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by email at cmohamed@
schnepsmedia.com
or by phone at (718) 260–4526.
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