T-burg Liquor kicks off second year under new owner

Trumansburg native Greg Van Ness, owner of Trumansburg Liquor, recently celebrated his one-year anniversary of ownership with a ribbon cutting Aug. 29. Officials from the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, the Village of Trumansburg and Tompkins County officials and residents were on hand to help Van Ness celebrate his first year of owning the iconic store.

Opened in 1933, Trumansburg Liquor is the oldest continuous business in Trumansburg. Van Ness has a lineage in Trumansburg that spans eight generations and purchased the iconic business Aug. 13, 2021. The historical store has undergone some changes but remains mindful and dedicated to the customers that have frequented it for decades.

“It has been said that small business is the backbone of America, and that backbone has never been put to the test like it has been these past few years,” said Trumansburg Mayor Rordan Hart. “So, when a Main Street business changes ownership, especially one that’s been in continuous operation as long as this one has, it’s great to see it come into the hands of someone who knows not only the business, but the community, and Greg knows it as well as anyone.”

Van Ness was a graduate of Trumansburg High School and had moved away to attend college at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, graduating with a degree in hospitality and continued his restaurant career in Las Vegas. In 2008, he moved back to Trumansburg with his wife, a counselor at Trumansburg Elementary School, to raise his two daughters, who are now both in college.

“I have been tweaking the inventory over the last year and have put in a new POS [point of sale] system. It is faster and has a front-facing screen that is very customer friendly,” Van Ness said. “Currently, I am working on updating the wine list with a strong focus on the Mediterranean region, including Spain, the South of France and Italy.”

A veteran of the hospitality industry, Van Ness fell in love with the business at a very early age while working at Richard’s Restaurant and Tri-County Lanes, a combined restaurant and bowling alley on the Seneca County Border that burned down in the spring of 1999.

“Everyone loved Richards; they had some of the best food in the region. People still talk about how amazing the food was,” Van Ness said. “I started working as a dishwasher there when I was 14 and worked there until I was 18. Richard’s is where I first fell in love with the hospitality industry.”

While in Las Vegas, Van Ness worked for Emeril Lagasse for seven years, having opened his first two restaurants. Van Ness also worked at Lagasse’s Delmonico Steakhouse at the Venetian Hotel under the sommelier, with a wine list boasting thousands of different wines.

Van Ness was working as a server at Ithaca-based Italian restaurant Gola Osteria (tinyurl.com/2y2paf9w) until the pandemic challenged him to change the course of his life.

When he heard that the shop was for sale, Van Ness decided it was an opportunity that have him the chance to use the extensive wine knowledge he had gained over the years, despite leaving the hospitality industry that he dearly loves.

“I bought this as a very long project when the pandemic made me realize I was ready to retire from the restaurant business,” Van Ness said. “I keep a nice regular selection for the customers that have been shopping here for over 50 years, but I’ve also updated what we carry in regards to bourbon, tequila and whiskey. Bourbon and whiskey were huge for the last few years, but tequila is huge right now.”

Entering his second year, Van Ness is looking to the future of his new endeavor and the changes he will be implementing along the way.

Van Ness plans to create a few new wine clubs and eventually host actual tastings within the store, creating a social and comfortable environment for people to explore new offerings. He is currently in the planning stages of rearranging the store to accommodate the tastings.

He will also be updating his current wine displays. Van Ness will be implementing some physical updates to the windows and around the property as well but plans on taking his time in doing so to make sure the building stays historically sound.

“I’m looking forward to working on the new changes and the future of the store. I’ve hired a new employee, Lauren Nelson, that I think is a wonderful new addition to the store,” Van Ness said. “She’s a graduate of Trumansburg High School and Cornell University and has a lot of wine experience. She had worked at Gimme! [Coffee] for years as well. She is a local and lives in Trumansburg and she brings a really nice energy to the place.”

Trumansburg Connection appears every Wednesday in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@VizellaMedia.com.

In brief:

Trumansburg draft zoning update proposal available

After a year of effort, the village of Trumansburg’s Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Revision (CPZR) Committee has released a draft proposal for updates to the village’s residential zoning regulation. All Trumansburg residents are encouraged to provide feedback on the draft proposal to guide the CPZR Committee as it continues to revise the draft proposal before recommending it to the Village Board of Trustees for potential adoption at the end of the year.

The draft proposal along with a frequently asked questions document can be found online at tinyurl.com/TburgZoning. Paper copies are available at the Village Office (56 E. Main St.).

A public presentation followed by questions and feedback will be held at the Village Meeting Hall (56 E. Main St.) on Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. Remote attendance is available via Zoom at tinyurl.com/TburgZoningMeeting. Residents can also send feedback by email to PublicComment@trumansburg-ny.gov.

Additional information regarding the Board of Trustees’ review and potential adoption of the draft proposal will be posted on the village website at trumansburg-ny.gov as it becomes available.