Trader Mort's Liquor, San Diego, CA (store)

Name:Trader Mort's Liquor
Type:store
Street:2904 Shelter Island Dr.
City:San Diego
State:CA
Zip:92106
country:USA
Phone:619-224-3771
Status:operational

Description:
Trader Mort's Liquor was established in 1975. It is on the corner of Scott St. and Shelter Island Dr.
The store is located in the Fleetridge neighborhood of Pt. Loma.

Matchbook from Trader Mort's.

I love Trader Morts, I stop in anytime I am in Shelter Island whether I need anything or not... :)

This thread really needs a photo of the Trader Mort's building

And of course the Tiki

That was carved by Eli Hedley as seen here in this photo posted by Bamboo Ben from the original Island Trade Stores.

And last, the Trader Mort's Tiki Mug.

I always stop in here to pick up some rum before heading out on long range Tuna fishing trips from Point Loma.

DC

On 2011-12-20 16:06, Mr. NoNaMe wrote:
Description:
Trader Mort's Liquor was established in 1975.

Really!?! Not the 50's or 60's??
I'm kinda bummed it's not older.

I'd have to agree with 4WDtiki. The lack of an area code on the matchbook would indicate an earlier build (the majority of businesses had incorporated area codes into their phone numbers by the mid-1960s). And the building's architecture reminds me of the 1960s A & W restaurant "pilgrim hat" prototype. Vintage Roadside on flickr dates the building to 1963, which seems more likely
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vintageroadside/3897615833/
Has anyone checked the local phone directories for when Trader Mort's first appears?

Good point DC.

The parking lot sign

The doorhandle

Here's a photo of a war club I own

I'm not sure where our notes for this one are at the moment but seem to recall getting the date of the building from the owner when we stopped in back in 2010.

I love this thread! I did not know a lot of the history behind Trader Morts and it has a lot more history than I had imagined. I hope I see one of those Munktiki mugs on ebay or somewhere.

This place is great! I get my Lemonhart here. I can actually take a long walk from my house and get there. They have mugs, as well as Rum and mixers that the chain liquor stores don't carry. They always have coupons in the Tiki Magazine, which they also sell. They had a write up in the last mag or the one prior. I'll read through that again too.

I talk to the owner regularly, but he isn't working too often. I'll gladly ask him the exact date info the next time I see him. Give me a week or two...

I can't see the photos that the others posted for some reason, but I'll add a shot that I took of Trader Mort's recently.

Aloha E Komo Mai by Chimay Bleue, on Flickr

Also, I believe Trader Mort's dates from around 1964. The architecture is more consistent with the mid-60s and I had always understood that it was.

[ Edited by: ChimayBleue 2012-11-03 12:07 ]

I talked to an older gent yesterday at Trader Mort's. He told me that he thought that it was first open in 1965. It is not definitive, but I will keep asking. He said that a man with the last name Mortenson had started it and that is where the name comes from. It has been through a few owners, but everyone just decided to keep the original name. Also he said that the building was originally built for Trader Mort's, and that nothing was in the building prior.

I will try to find out more and continue to post.

[ Edited by: lunavideogames 2012-11-12 12:33 ]

Ok, I talked to the owner today. He confirmed that the year it was opened is 1965.

His family purchased it in 1975 so they have owned it for quite some time now. I guess that is how we got confused.

Anyway, the mystery is solved! 1965 confirmed by the owner and proprietor. This is a great tiki liquor store that has catered to tikiphiles since 1965. Great place to check out when you are in the area!

Quick trip this weekend, ahhhhhhhh

I don't see a shelf that has this on it very often..
Brought back 4 bottles..
:)

Man, I would love to be able to walk into a liquor store to buy the rum I want and a mug or two to put it in. Michigan sucks.

On 2013-04-19 09:20, ErkNoLikeFire wrote:
Man, I would love to be able to walk into a liquor store to buy the rum I want and a mug or two to put it in. Michigan sucks.

Aaaaamen, brother (but Ohio).

So it seems like some of the information I received on this place was a bit off. The last name of the original owner was Morton. I now know this for a fact since his nephew is working for me. He is going to hunt down any old items from Trader Morts from the old days before it changed owners. As soon as he gets a chance to talk to him, I should be able to find out the original opening date and hopefully some stories about the tiki and more. I will keep you guys posted as I receive more information.

The original owner still owns Miguel's and Brigandine, the restaurants close to Trader Morts.

I can't provide any verification on the original date but I used to hang out on Shelter Island as a kid and went to the Kona Kai and the Bali Hai all the time. I remember seeing that liquor store there back in the 60's. I was too young for drinking but was always fascinated by it. I can't believe I have never been in there...definitely going in the next time I am in San Diego. Thanks for posting pictures.

On 2014-03-20 16:50, lunavideogames wrote:
So it seems like some of the information I received on this place was a bit off. The last name of the original owner was Morton. I now know this for a fact since his nephew is working for me. He is going to hunt down any old items from Trader Morts from the old days before it changed owners. As soon as he gets a chance to talk to him, I should be able to find out the original opening date and hopefully some stories about the tiki and more. I will keep you guys posted as I receive more information.

The original owner still owns Miguel's and Brigandine, the restaurants close to Trader Morts.

So the Mort in question is Lance Morton. Found his obit in the SDUT, which says Trader Mort's opened in 1961. Also as you've noted, he and his brother started the Brigantine in 1969.

Excerpt from the obit:

Morton, Henry Lansing 01/09/1934 - 05/01/2015 POINT LOMA-- Lance, as he was known to his friends, passed away unexpectedly at home from cardiac arrest, May 1st, 2015. Born in Tulsa, OK, he was the second son of Asa Dan and Margaret E. Morton. The family moved to San Diego when he was 5 years old. A star athlete at Point Loma High school in varsity football he held the shot-put record for many years. Awards include All-City Football 1951, All-City Track & Field 1952, So.Cal. Junior College Assoc. All-Conference Football 1953, Aztec team first squad at San Diego State. He graduated SDS 1957 in Business Management.... His business career, mostly in financial services, began at Home Federal Savings and Loan in 1956 and lasted 50 years. Other pursuits included the creation of Trader Mort's Liquor on Shelter Island in 1961. As a principal founder of The Brigantine restaurant 1969, the family chain has grown and continues to thrive under the direction of brother Mike Morton. Beginning in the 40's, he was one of the "Sunset Surfers" -- the original beachboys of O.B. and Sunset Cliffs. He served as a City Lifeguard through his college years. Sailing adventures began in the 50's with starlets at San Diego Yacht Club and later sailing on many competitive yachts on the West Coast, including three Trans-Pac and one Tahiti race.