Jonathan Lumley-Sapanski
Tell us about you!
I live (gasp) in Morristown, NJ, with my wife Molly, and our three boys: Jack, Otto, and Bobby.
Life is crazy with a young business, and family, but we somehow make it work!
We love the outdoors, biking, swimming, skiing, and watching my kids learn to ski this past winter was amazing. I dreamt of being a chef as a kid. I got jobs in kitchens, and did a Summer in France at the Paul Bocuse Institute. I went to Cornell for Hospitality, with the goal of moving to NY and running restaurants. 2008/09 was not a great time to be graduating from college, and I had my job offer revoked as a result of a corporate hiring freeze. My to-be boss left to work at BB King Blues Club, and she got me an interview and I started that night. Three years of working in a restaurant, music venue, and event space was both magical and maniacal. I got to meet so many musicians and A-Listers, but crazy long hours and lifestyle takes its toll. I always had a passion for wine, and I got a job as a distributor sales rep. A few years later I had completed advanced certificates with the WSET(Wine and Spirits Education Trust) and was totally consumed in the industry. I moved on to work for Deutsch Family Wines and Spirits, where I spent seven years selling wine and spirits to restaurants in Manhattan. Covid took its toll on the industry and me. I was calling on stores and restaurants from Manhattan to the Hamptons, and we had a young baby. I was looking at these stores and thinking that I could do something really cool that focuses on quality, family owned, producers making products in a way that you hope all of the things you consume are made. Liquor licenses are hard to come by and the journey to Lum's Cellars was a long one. I purchased Kasper's, lovingly known as "Ms. Lee's" in August of 2022 after a 10 month dragged out closing. I operated that store with some updated selections through the end of the year. Then we closed and renovated, found a ton of history concealed by asbestos tiling, beer branded adhesives, and drop ceilings: century old floors, tin ceilings, and original furniture to the first business in the building, W.J. Denk. We re-opened as Lum's Cellars in June of 2023, and we are still figuring things out!
In a paragraph, tell us about your business.
Lum's Cellars is located on Springfield avenue, by Maplecrest park. We are a wine and spirits store. We have a wide array of products you may have never seen or tasted before, and most familiar favorites as well.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up on a small farm in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, the town next to Penn State. Growing up in a small town made me cherish community, and much of the ethos of my store, our decisions, and selections are to foster and promote community.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a chef. I worked in kitchens and did a culinary program at the Paul Bocuse Institute. When I got my first taste of tips when waiting tables, I quickly was set on a different track and worked as a bartender and waiter for many years.
What inspired you to start your own business?
Every day in sales I spent so much time in stores that were all so homogenous and uninteresting. I wanted to take a restaurant and hospitality approach to this business, engage with customers, curate an offering, and sell cool stuff not the same things you see everywhere.
How did you find yourself doing this work?
I managed a nightclub, music venue, and restaurant, before entering a decade in sales for a large distributor then importer. I studied wine and spirits both in college and since.
What's a proud moment in your business journey?
It is ongoing more than a moment, but I have maintained my entire staff for three years. All business owners know the struggles of hiring, training, staffing, employees, etc., so to have smoothed out issues and maintained the staff I have, makes me very proud of.
What have you learned about yourself since becoming an entrepreneur?
Hiring people who are good at what I am not is the only way I can be successful.
What are 5 words that describe what you do?
taste, spit, market, sell, payroll.
What are 3 things that contribute to a successful work day?
Fewer sales people, more customers, good weather.
What's the weirdest thing on your desk right now?
Cilantro liqueur from Empirical.
Who's your all time hero?
My parents.
Share a piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you started your biz.
It takes SO LONG, and then longer.
What's your go-to celebration meal when you hit a milestone?
Champagne.
What’s your favorite ’90s jam?
Champagne Supernova, Oasis
A quote you live by
"hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." - Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) Shawshank Redemption
Do you have a favorite local store or business that you wish more people knew about?
Porta Rossa, I feel like many people know about it, but it is the best lunch and to go food in the area, and their private dinners and events are 10/10.