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Stew Leonard's

Headquarters:
100 Westport Ave.
Norwalk, CT 06851
Employees: 2,000
CEO: Stew Leonard Jr.
Privately held

Website: http://www.stewleonards.com

Career Site

From its humble beginnings as a small dairy store founded in 1969, Stew Leonard's has grown to become not only the World's Largest Dairy Store, but one of the most renowned grocery stores, with annual sales of nearly $400 million. More than 300,000 shoppers visit Stew Leonard's each week for the farm fresh foods combined in a country fair atmosphere, complete with costumed characters, entertainment, free samples throughout the store and unsurpassed customer service.

Family owned and operated, there are four Stew Leonard's stores -- in Norwalk, Danbury and Newington, CT and one in Yonkers, NY. The company is planning a fifth store in Farmingdale, NY to open in 2016.

While many supermarkets carry over 40,000 items, Stew Leonard's stores only carry 2,200 items, chosen for their freshness, quality and value.

Stew Leonard's Unique Store Design
- A unique feature at Stew Leonard's is that the store only has one aisle ­ albeit one that winds through the more than 100,000 square feet of each of the company's three stores.
- 80 percent of the products sold in store are fresh ­ that is, brought in daily or prepared directly in-store. Just some of the products Stew's makes on the premises daily in front of the customers:
- Bagels, artisan breads, croissants, muffins, cakes and cookies
- Fresh mozzarella, sushi, soups, smoked salmon
- Fresh-squeezed juice and roasted coffee
- Custom-cut and trimmed meat by one of our expertly trained butchers
- There are free samples of best selling items in every department. New products are also showcased with in-store demonstrations and sampling.
- When a customer spends $100 or more on groceries, the register "Moos" and the customer is rewarded with a free ice cream or cup of coffee.
- Little ones who stop by the baker's window can ask for a piece of dough to play with.
- Customers looking for the restroom need only follow the duck feet on the floor, which will lead them directly there.

Stew Leonard's was named one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America by Fortune magazine for 10 consecutive years.

History

Stew Leonard's history can be traced back to the early 1920s, when Charles Leo Leonard started Clover Farms Dairy in Norwalk, CT with just seven employees. It was a state of the art dairy by the standards of the time - with a pasteurizing and bottling plant, and fresh milk delivered daily by trucks that had plastic cows on the front that "mooed" for the neighborhood children.

In the late sixties, Stew Leonard, Charles' son, realized the milk delivery business was going the way of the horse and buggy.

He knew it was time to start something new was driven home when the state informed him that Clover Farms Dairy was in the path of a new highway. Stew Leonard's dream was to build a retail dairy store where children could watch milk being bottled, while mothers did their shopping in a farmer's market atmosphere. In December 1969, Stew Leonard's opened its doors - a 17,000 square foot store carrying just eight items.

Stew Leonard's has grown at an amazing pace - and 30 additions have since been added to the original store. Stew Leonard's has taken the fresh dairy concept and expanded into meats, fish, produce, bakery, cheese and wine. Unlike traditional grocery stores that sell an average 30,000 items, each Stew Leonard's store carries only 2,000 items, chosen specifically for their freshness, quality and value.Stew Leonard's has remained a family business. In 1987, Stew Leonard, Jr. - Stew's son - took over the reins and is now President and CEO. Son Tom opened the 2nd Stew Leonard's in Danbury, CT in 1991.

Benefits

- Comprehensive medical insurance

- Dental Coverage

- Vision Plan

- Legal Services

- Disability Insurance

- Life Insurance

- 401-K Retirement Savings Plan

- Scholarship Program and Tuition Assistance Program

- Recognition and Awards programs

- Family and Personal paid time off program

- Profit Sharing

- Opportunities for advancement

Updated December 8, 2015