Morton Williams Supermarkets is an American upscale supermarket chain operating seventeen stores in the New York City metropolitan area. The chain is known for its upscale offerings, personalized service, and deep roots in the neighborhoods it serves. The stores feature fresh, high-quality produce, gourmet cheeses, premium meats, and chef-prepared meals, with full-service catering as well as convenient online shopping and delivery.
The company was founded in 1952 by brothers Joe and Irving Sloan, and Joe’s sons Morton and William later expanded to supermarkets in the New York City area. In the 1970s, they reinvented the business by opening new, reimagined markets in Manhattan with kitchens, chefs and a focus on fresh prepared foods for customers on the go. The first location opened in the Bronx in 1952 and originally operated under the independent Associated Supermarkets brand.
Retail Formats and Where It Operates
Morton Williams operates many locations open 24/7 across the metropolitan area. The chain operates 15 supermarkets in Manhattan, as well as one in the Bronx and one in Jersey City. The stores are located primarily in upscale Manhattan neighborhoods, focusing on high quality, fresh, and diverse produce offerings, with each supermarket designed to reflect the needs of the local neighborhood.
Company Background
The company was founded in 1952 by brothers Joe and Irving Sloan. Joe’s sons Morton and William later built upon the business and expanded to supermarkets in the New York City area. In the 1970s, they began opening new, reimagined markets in Manhattan with kitchens, chefs and a focus on fresh prepared foods for customers on the go, changing the name of the new stores to Morton Williams.
Morton Williams is guided by the third generation — Avi Kaner, Morton Sloan’s son-in-law; David Sloan, his son; and Steven Sloan, the son of William Sloan.
Ownership, Structure and Financial History
The first location opened in the Bronx in 1952 and originally operated under the independent Associated Supermarkets brand. The chain remained family-owned and independent for decades, serving the New York metropolitan area as an upscale neighborhood grocery operator.
The company joined Allegiance Retail Services, a retailer-owned cooperative, in September 2022. The seventeen Morton Williams stores were previously part of the Allegiance Retail Services co-op; prior to that, they were supplied by Wakefern in a wholesale-only deal.
In October 2025, Wakefern Food Corp. completed its acquisition of the company. The Morton Williams name will remain unchanged, employees across all stores will be retained, and leadership including the family that founded the chain in the 1970s will stay in place. The seventeen acquired stores will be operated by a wholly owned subsidiary of Wakefern and will continue to specialize in prepared meals, baked goods and private-label products, with the addition of Wakefern products on shelves.
Product Range and Store Brands
The stores feature fresh, high-quality produce, gourmet cheeses, premium meats, and chef-prepared meals. Morton Williams is known for upscale offerings like gourmet cheeses and meats, as well as chef-prepared meals and full-service catering. Morton Williams provides full-service catering, as well as convenient online shopping and delivery.
The chain features ShopRite products as its private-label brand, supplied by ShopRite’s parent company, Wakefern Food Corporation. The stores are known for chef-prepared meals and full-service catering.
Notable Developments and Outlook
In October 2025, Wakefern Food Corp. completed its acquisition of Morton Williams. Leadership from Morton Williams, including members of the Sloan family who established the Morton Williams brand in the 1970s, will also remain. Kevin McDonnell, currently president of Wakefern’s wholly owned subsidiary PRRC, Inc., will serve as the Wakefern executive leading Morton Williams.
The seventeen stores will be operated by a wholly owned subsidiary of Wakefern and will continue to specialize in the prepared meals, baked goods and private-label products Morton Williams shoppers expect, with the addition of Wakefern products on shelves. Customers will find the same neighborhood feel, elevated shopping experience and fresh prepared foods at their local Morton Williams store, and Wakefern will retain all the team members across stores.
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