New owner for familiar liquor store

ShopRite buys license at Franklin store Franklin — In a million-dollar transaction, ShopRite Liquors of Franklin passed ownership to Ronetco Supermarkets. The newly remodeled store, with expanded inventory, is now called Franklin Wines & Spirits. It remains in its familiar location, adjacent to the Franklin ShopRite on Route 23. But now it is owned by the ShopRite owners themselves. Ronetco owns and operates ShopRite supermarkets in Sussex, Morris and Warren counties. The change of ownership was formally approved last week, making it one of the first pieces of business of the new year for Franklin Borough. The previous owners were James D’Orsi of Silver Lake, who had 85 percent of the business, and Robert Salkowski, of Jackson, with 15 percent. They’d owned the business for more than six years, according to borough records. The sale of the liquor license, which permits on-premise consumption and broad package sales, was recorded at $1 million. That’s a steep incline from the last several liquor licenses sold in Franklin. In 2005, the retail consumption license at Hooters sold for $115,000. In 2003, the license at Wine Country, for package goods, sold for $60,000. New look, new stock The previous owners closed the shop on New Year’s Eve and the new owners reopened on Jan. 15 with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by a crowd of well-wishers and shoppers eager to see the remodeled store. Wine tasting and refreshments were offered to shoppers, along with an opportunity to win a large screen television. Ronetco vice president and CFO David Romano said that in remaking the store, they “expanded the wine section substantially in order to provide a diverse wine selection. We’ve also expanded the beer section.” Shoppers can also expect lower prices than before, the owners said. The new owners plan to keep the grand opening mood going. During the store’s month-long celebration, customers will find many discounts and regular wine tastings should continue in the shop. The Romano family also operates other liquor stores in the region, including those in Netcong, Newton, Succasunna and Hackettstown.