Wick's Changing to Kensington Liquor under New Ownership

, the owners of Wick’s Beer and Liquor have said, "It's time" and sold their shop on the corner of North Oakland Avenue and East Kensington Boulevard.

The name on the facade of the long-standing beer and spirit shop will shift from Wick’s to Kensington Liquor under new owner Keith Marquardt.

Marquardt says he doesn’t plan to change much outside of a few façade improvements and knocking down some walls to make room for a bigger selection of beer, liquor and wine. He'll add more wine to the store immediately, and eventually install a beer cave.

Marquardt said he has been in the liquor store business for 27 years, but all of them have been managing different locations in the Milwaukee area.

“I heard they were for sale, and I always knew I didn’t want to run somebody else’s store; I wanted to run my own,” he said.

Shorewood will help Marquardt finance some of the renovations with a $25,000 loan the village’s Community Development Authority approved two weeks ago.

“This place is going to look extremely different down the road,” he said.

Tim Wick said the decision to sell wasn't difficult for him and his wife Lori, though it hasn't really sunk in yet, and it's hard denying how much the store has been apart of his family for the nearly three decades they have run it.

"It was just time," he said. "I don't think my daughters are very happy with me selling the store. They grew up in that store.”