It's been a while since we've had a store tour, in fact more than a week! Today we'll be taking a look at the Morton Williams on E Kingsbridge Rd, which used to be one of two Morton Williams in the Bronx. (The chain also has locations in Manhattan and one in New Jersey.) The other Bronx location, at 2467 Jerome Ave, has recently closed for business.
Now this store is a long-standing Morton Williams, previously a member of the Associated chain until about 2009, but in 2016 the store was gutted and totally rebuilt following a
gas explosion in the building.
And looking at this storefront, you're probably thinking this is the smallest Morton Williams you've ever seen. Don't be deceived, the store is an L-shape and this is only the tip of the L. There is also an entrance and a parking lot over on Jerome Ave around the corner.
You enter on the right to produce and deli along the right side wall. Grocery aisles continue in back with dairy, frozen, and meat in the back section. There are two sets of registers, one here at the front entrance and one at the side entrance on Jerome.
Following the renovation, the store is absolutely gorgeous. The produce department is well-organized and well-merchandised, and all the produce looks fantastic.
Bulk nuts and dried fruit at the entrance, with the registers on the other side.
Here's the front-end on Kingsbridge from the produce side of the store.
Clearly more work is put into the presentation here, and it shows. But it also shows in the prices. Morton Williams is a very upscale store with very high prices.
Beautiful deli/prepared foods section though, in the back of the first aisle.
Looking back towards the produce department from the hot food bar. There are small seating areas at both entrances.
The deli runs along the side wall of the store and is located at the back of the first aisle, in the corner of the L.
Aisles then run parallel to the front wall on Kingsbridge. We're looking from the deli side to the first grocery aisle in the back, which contains some refrigerated and frozen groceries as well.
The deli is just to the left in the above shot.
Morton Williams does always make the most of the space it has, such as turning this awkward corner into an international foods section.
The back wall of the store is frozen foods.
Here we are looking down the last aisle along the back of the store. The meat department and butcher is on the right side of this aisle (back wall), while the windows you can see straight ahead face out the side of the store onto Jerome Ave.
Looking back towards the deli. Morton Williams contracts with Wakefern Food for wholesale, so the storebrand products are all ShopRite.
Switching from frozen foods to meats along the back wall about halfway across.
The store's aisles are divided because the space is so long, so we're looking across the long end of the L here, from the back wall of the store back towards Kingsbridge. There are other stores on the other side of the dairy wall we're looking at.
Small but nice butcher counter in the back corner of the store.
There are four registers and a small cafe area at the side entrance on Jerome Ave. Let's take a quick detour outside to see the storefront facing Jerome...
Looks a little larger on this side, no? This is across the long end of the L.
A look over towards floral, the entrance/exit to the parking lot, and the cafe.
Dairy lines the long part of the L opposite meat/frozen. Notice how the department signs are actually located where you can read them from the cross aisles, and not centered over the actual department. Makes sense, but still a little visually confusing.
Quick look up one of the grocery aisles back towards deli. I love these backlit signs that you can even see from here, all the way across the store!
Dairy on the wall along the long part of the L. There is a small grocery selection around the corner in the short part of the L, opposite the produce department. I don't remember how many aisles there are, but not many. Maybe four? Here's a look at one of them.
Google Maps estimates the store is about 15,000 square feet, but somehow it felt much bigger. Maybe it's the mazelike layout and excellent use of space. I'm generally not a fan of Morton Williams, but this one very much impressed me. I just wish the prices were lower!
Morton Williams
15 E Kingsbridge Rd, Bronx, NY
Open Mon-Fri 7AM-11PM, Sat-Sun 8AM-11PM
mortonwilliams.com
(718) 933-5910
Photographed June 2018
Wow. Very elegant décor package!
ReplyDeleteYes indeedy!
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