Wine Merchant Toasts Bridge-Closing Delay

The original plan was for the Grand Avenue Bridge to close as early as this fall to begin 18 months of renovations..

That would have killed a big part of the holiday business for Ben Tortora, Fair Haven’s only wine merchant, who runs Grand Vin right by the bridge.

Now the start of construction has been pushed back past Christmas — and Tortora is driving back and forth across the bridge to make the personal deliveries at the heart of his business’s success.

Tortora confirmed what city Economic Development Officer Carlos Eyzaguirre shared Tuesday night at the local Quinnipiac East Community Management Team (QECMT) meeting: that the closure for major repairs has been pushed back to begin in March.

“We’re going to do things right by the wine store and Ziggys,” the other directly affected business, the pizza parlor at the corner of Grand and Quinnipiac, said Eyzaguirre.

Tortora confirmed that the city has reached out to assist him by putting his store on the city Facebook page to inform people that he will be open during the year-and-a-half closure. And the city planning a half-day party/celebration to coincide with the closing to urge shoppers to keep patronizing the local businesses.

“I’m fine that I’m going to receive some support from the city to promote the store” during the closure, he said.

“My holiday started in November and I deliver 185 gifts” of wine over the season, Tortora said.

Ttwo weeks ago he had an open house at his store. He opened eight bottles of different wines and provided appropriate eats for each one. Long-time customers thronged the place.

Tortora said he did not have figures on how many of his customers walk over to the store from the west side of the bridge to buy a bottle of wine.

He plans to address potential business loss by starting a wider delivery service. He doesn’t anticipate that customers will walk the mile to cross at the Ferry Street Bridge.

“I can’t accommodate a guy who walks in for a ten-dollar bottle” (like this reporter), he said. Ss to the delivery, he might have to put a minimum limit on a purchase, such as $40.

The city’s helping him crunch the area’s demographic numbers as he ponders marketing efforts during the closure. He said he might distribute flyers that he will deliver certain items on, for example, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

All these possible steps are inchoate. Tortora is just trying to think ahead, but he feels no longer alone. His customers have always been behind his surviving the coming closure. Now he feels he also has an ally in the city.