Wenning Wholesale Foods keeping up with the times with ‘business not as usual’

By Patty Booth O’Neill – On a nice day you can meet Dennis Wenning out and about enjoying the weather, but mostly he on the job at his family business, Wenning and Sons Wholesale Foods on Broadway in Long Branch, which has been in operation since 1922.

Dennis Wenning and Patty O'Neill enjoying the outdoors while they can.

When asked how he was handling the epidemic he admitted it looked bad at first.

“In the beginning It looked dismal,” Dennis said. “I laid off workers and went back on the road myself and that’s when I saw what people were doing to stick it out.”

He said he saw restaurants willing to go to all take out and curbside delivery to make their businesses survive, and how locals were supporting their favorite spots to keep them in business.

He also realized that a lot of people couldn’t go out of their houses to shop, especially the elderly, so he started to offer home deliveries which Wenning never did before. “It was nice to go and see all of my customers personally,” Dennis said. Curbside pickup was also added.

“My grandfather survived the depression with this business,” Dennis said. “When my father asked him ‘how the hell did you make it through the depression?’ his answer was, ‘Everybody’s got to eat.’”

Wenning will soon be celebrating 150 years in business. You can call them at 732-222-3085.