The ABC’s OF
Look inside to see why The New York Times called us the “Disneyland of Dairy Stores”
What Is Stew 1921 Charles Leo Leonard (Stew Sr’s. Father) started his own dairy, with the help of SJ Stewart, called Clover Farms, with one milk route. He delivered the milk with a horse and buggy and ran the business out of his garage. He did it all!
Clover Farms Dairy opens in HISTORY Norwalk, CT. 1960
Brothers Jim and Stew inherit Clover through the Farms milk delivery business. YEARS 1968
State of Connecticut builds a highway through Clover Farms causing Stew Leonard to relocate his business. 1969
Stew Leonard opens dairy store in Norwalk, CT with only two registers and seven items.
The Leonard Family 1970 Stew Jr., Tom, Beth, Jill, Stew and Marianne Some of our first newspaper advertisements.
1971
Clover Farms changes its name to Stew Leonard’s.
1972
Rule 1 and Rule 2 carved in 6,000 pounds of granite. 2 1982 1975
Customers take pictures of themselves while holding our bag at different landmarks all over the world. We’ve posted more than 40,000 BAGS AROUND THE WORLD photos over the years.
A.E. Hotchner and Paul Newman thank Stew for his help in starting Newman’s 1977 Own Salad Dressing.
Electronic scanners are introduced on 20 checkout lanes. Stew’s has 145 Team Members. 1983
Tom Peters 1978 features Stew Leonard’s in his Now selling best-selling books 400 items and on excellence. has 232 Team Members 1979
Stew Leonard’s begins selling meat direct from ranchers Business in Colorado. expands rapidly.
1980
A result of our firs “One-Idea Many new depart- Trip”, we unveil our ments open... BBQ, Las Vegas electronic salad bar, and the road sign. fish and bakery expand.
1986 With more than 27 additions, Stew Leonard’s continues to expand.
1981 A 40-acre farm is Stew’s daughter, Beth returns purchased in from her training in Paris to open Danbury, CT for a an in-store bakery selling FRESH second store. BAKED butter croissants and A permanent chocolate chip cookies. store soon followed with Tom Leonard in charge of operations. 3 1986
Stew Sr.’s daughter, Jill, Stew Leonard III Children’s Chari- upon graduating college, ties (formerly Stew Leonard III Wa- joins human resources and ter Safety Foundation) was created creates Stew Leonard’s by Stew and Kim Leonard. University. 1991
The 130,000 square foot Dan- Stew Leonard awarded bury store opens the Presidential Award in 1991. for Entrepreneurial Excellence by President Ronald Regan. 1992
People magazine fea- tures Stew Leonard’s as the “World’s Largest Dairy Store.”
1987
Stew Leonard Jr. (right) becomes President of 1996 Stew Leonard’s after receiving his MBA from UCLA. 50 acres were purchased in Orange, CT. 1988 1999
A 125,000 square foot store opens in Yonkers, NY.
National publications feature Stew Leonard’s. The New York Times calls it “The Disneyland of Dairy Stores.” New York Thruway exit in Yonkers named 1988 Stew Leonard Drive.
Stew Leonard invited as 2000 Grand Marshal in Disney Our first wine shop opens. World Parade. 2002
1990
Stew Leonard’s Ripley’s Believe It or Not! cites makes the Stew Leonard’s as FORTUNE 100 Best “The WORLD’S LARGEST Dairy Companies to Work Store.” For in America list. 4 2008 2002
Stew Leonard Sr. named as one The next genera- of the Top 50 Visionaries. tion of Leonards enters the family business.
Retailer of the Year Award, Oc- tober 2008: Presented to Stew Jr. by Connecticut Retail Merchants.
Stew Leonard’s is feaured on the History Channel documentary of US Route 1. 2005
Stew Leonard’s is given the Lifelong Learning Award, May 2008: Dairy Farm of Presented by Workplace, Inc. for Distinction Award. Stew Leonard’s commitment to expanding learning opportunities for our Team Members.
2006 Stew Leonard’s 29th Annual Turkey Do- Stew Leonard’s is featured nation, helping to feed on the Food Network. 30,000 people in the community each year.
Stew’s receives Connecticut’s 2007 Business Leaders Energy Efficiency Stew Leonard’s opens Award. its fourth store in the Hartford, CT market in Newington.
Dale Carnegie Leadership Award presented to Stew Jr.
Stew Leonard’s launches its Naked Beef. Stew’s Clam Chowder takes first place in Chowda’ Fest ‘08. Westchester magazine features Stew Leonard’s as one of the 10 Best Places to Work. 5 2009 Jan - Feb 2010 Stew Leonard’s celebrates its It's All About You! Tom Leonard’s wins PRSRT STD 40th Anniversary. U.S. “Best Family Owned POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 85 100 Westport Avenue BRIDGEPORT, CT Business” for Rich- Norwalk, CT 06851 Stew Sr.’s mond Magazine’s autobiography Best & Worst of “My Story” is 2009. released.
Celebrating YEARS 40 12/17/09 11:48:01 AM visit us at www.stewleonards.com
Cover_JAN_FEB_2010_CS2.indd 1 # 1 Gift Basket, Best of Connecticut 2009, Connecticut Magazine. Newington is awarded Business Contributor of the Year.
Stew Leonard’s is awarded the Recycling Excellence Award by Stew Leonard’s Westchester County, NY. receives Greystone Foundation Award for Service in the Yonkers commu- nity. Community Life Saver Award 2009: Presented by The National Drowning Prevention Alliance to Stew Leonard Jr. and Kim Leonard for personal advocacy in increasing water safety awareness.
Stew’s launches reusable bags. Bobby Flay, Lidia Bastianich, Danny DeVito, Rocco DiSpirito, Mario Batali, Miss America, Dan Aykroyd, Martha Stewart, Lorraine Bracco, Aaron Sanchez, Jacques Pepin, Curtis Stone and Lisa Lillian (aka “The Hungry Girl”) visit our stores. 2010
CNN features Stew Leonard’s as one of Fortune 100 Best Companies To Work For.
Expanding our wine stores to New Jersey.
All Food Stores Garden Shops – Best of Westchester 2009, Westchester Magazine
Celebrity chef Giada The Yonkers Chamber De Laurentiis visits Norwalk. of Commerce names Haiti relief efforts. the Yonkers store “Best 6 Gourmet Supermarket.” Stew Leonard, Jr. given the Prendi Award by Greater Danbury Chanber of Commerce Corporate Partner Award- Norwalk Economic Oppourtunity Now
Best Hot Food Bar - Best of Connecticut Magazine.
Employment De- Top Retailer velopment Award Wine Industry from WRAC for providing jobs for developmentally disabled West- chester County Blake citizens. Leonard, along with Beatrice Landini, create BLBL wine.
Stew Leonard’s named on “Great Places to Work” list by CT Magazine
Springfield, New Jersey Wine Store opens.
Stew Leonard, Sr. is honored by the Norwalk YMCA for his involvement in the community. Norwalk store mentors receive award from Connecticut Governor’s Preven- tion Program.
7 2011
Stew Leonard’s named in Westchester Maga- Norwalk Plus magazine zine Best of the Decade issue. announces results of their 4th annual readers’ poll, Best of Norwalk. Stew Leonard’s took top honors at Best Grocery Store while Stew Leon- ard’s Wines of Norwalk was named Best Wine Store.
Yonkers Progress, published by the Yonkers Chamber of Commerce, recognized Stew Leon- ard’s in Yonkers as “Best Gourmet Supermarket” in their annual “Best of Yonkers” issue.
Supermarket News named Stew Leonard’s #42 for the Top Small Chains and Inde- Hartford Business Journal pendents for 2011. – Best Places to Work in CT 2011, Stew Leonard’s ranked #4 in large com- Stew Leonard’s, 10 years consecutively, pany category. named on Fortune Magazine’s 100 Best Com- panies to Work For list, ranking #18.
Stew Leonard’s receives Corporate Leadership Award from the Open Door Shelter.
Carle Place Wine Shop opens its ex- panded new store.
8 2011 Best Place To Work in continued CT Awarded by Hartford Business Journal.
Stew’s in Danbury celebrates 25 years!
Stew Leonard’s receives Plati- num Healthy Workplace award from Business Coun- cil of Fairfield County.
Stew Leonard’s Children’s Charities has provided over 126,000 swim lessons, splash pro- grams and lifeguard training programs.
Stew Leonard’s Wines was named Wine Enthusiast magazine’s 2011 Retailer of the Year!
Stew Leonard’s is recognized by Easter Seals as Employer of the Year!
Stew Leonard’s and Stew Leon- ard’s Wines were voted as “Best of Norwalk” in the Spring 2012 2012 issue of Norwalk Plus magazine. Congratulations to the Norwalk Boys and Girls Club of Clifton’s Com- team! This is the second con- munity Support Award goes to Stew secutive year for the wine store Leonard’s for their programs that and the third consecutive year for benefit the children of the Boys and the grocery store. Girls Club of Clifton.
99 2012 continued
Stew Leonard’s has been awarded Platinum Fit Friendly status by the Ameri- can Heart Association for the second Connecticut Magazine lists consecutive year. Stew Leonard’s hot bar as the “Best of Connecticut.”
Giada De Laurentiis holds book signing in Norwalk.
Flash Mob in Norwalk!
90’s pop band Wilson Phillips visits Danbury Christopher to file scenes for their new reality show. Walken and Richard Belzer film video for FunnyOrDie. com. Stewie the Duck Learn to Swim “app” launched.
Newington store cel- ebrates 5 year anniversary.
Food drives held for Bruce Mathieson Hurricane retires after 42 Sandy victims. years.
10 Paramus and Clifton celebrate 2013 5 Year Anniversaries!
Stew’s Named Best Places To Work In Connecticut for the third year in a row!
Stew’s receives Healthy Workplace recognition for the 2nd Year!
Govenor Malloy visits Stew’s!
Stewie the Duck App receives the National Water Safety Congress Award. Stew is a guest on Bloomberg TV!
Winner! 2013 Best New England Shopping Spot!
Jerry Seinfeld visits the Seinfeld! Danbury store to shoot a segment for his site Bobby Flay returns comediansincarsget- to Stew’s in tingcoffee.com. Norwalk to film “Worst Cooks in America” for Food Network.
Westchester Magazine lists shopping at Stew’s on their “Bucket List.”
SharkTank’s Barbara Corcoran films an episode at Stew’s!
Governor’s Carla Hall of ABC’s Prevention “The Chew” films in Program Award for our Norwalk store. mentoring in Norwalk Schools over 24 years! 11 11 The moment you walk into Stew Leonard’s, you’ll notice the positive, friendly Attitude of each of our Team Members. What’s the secret? Because of our is for... culture of Appreciation, we continually recognize our Team Members for their hard work, and we know the feel-good Atmosphere translates back to our customers. As Stew Leonard Sr. says, “It takes happy A people to make happy customers!” Awards appreciation
Apples Attitude
12 animals
Artwork done “in House”
aged beef
Advertising
13 Stew Leonard’s specialty items like our Bagels, BBQ, Bread and Buffet attract more than 6.6 million customers per year into our four stores in Connecticut is for... and New York. But Stew Leonard’s Buzz is international too! Starting in 1974, our customers began snapping pictures of Stew Leonard’s Bags during their travels around the world. To date, Stew Leonard’s Bags have B visited hundreds of destinations, from Belize and Bora BAGELS Bora to Buenos Aires and Budapest.
BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING
butchers
BAGS AROUND THE WORLD
14 BUFFET Bread
book
birthday Parties
bbq
15 Customer Service is what sets Stew Leonard’s apart from the competition. Whether it’s our world-class is for... Chefs, helpful Cashiers, or friendly Characters like Clover the Cow, all of our Team Members are part of a larger Community dedicated to creating the best pos- C sible experience for our shoppers. “Great Customer Service is not a sometimes thing. It has to be earned and re-earned every single day.” – Stew Leonard Sr.
Customer service
Catering
coffee roasted fresh all day
Children’s tours
16 clams
characters
cheese community Giving
celebrity visitors
Chiquita cashiers cookies banana
17 Dubbed “The Disneyland of Dairy Stores” by The New York Times in 1987, Stew Leonard’s is Different is for... than your corner grocery store. While most grocery stores sell more than 45,000 items, Stew’s stocks only 2,500. Each of these Delicious items – from our Deli to our Dairy – are chosen specifically for their freshness, D quality and value.
Danbury, ct Daphne deli
donations delicious decorating
demos Dairy
18 What makes the Stew Leonard’s Experience so Excellent? Entertainment! Where else can you find Emma the singing chicken and Chiquita the dancing is for... banana? But our most notable Entertainers have to be the Farm Fresh Five: suspended on a stage above each store’s dairy section, the state-of-the-art audio animatronic robots perform more than 50,000 times E every year, singing their original songs about milk and shopping at Stew Leonard’s.
Entertainment
egg nog
excellence
19 As a Fortune 100 company, Farm Fresh Food is not only what we sell, it’s part of our history and our reputation. Because Stew Leonard’s buys directly is for... from Farmers, we’re able to sell only the Freshest produce and pass on the savings to our customers. Plus, 80% of the products sold at Stew Leonard’s are Fresh – that is, brought in daily or prepared directly f in-store – which means our bakery team arrives as farmers’ early as 3 a.m. to fire up the ovens in time for your market morning French toast muffin top!
food drives
Fresh made Daily flowers
free lunches
famous shoppers
20 Fresh Fish
fun
focus groups
Friend us on facebook
farm Fresh
fortune 21 In 1992, the Guinness Book of World Records cited Stew Leonard’s for “Greatest sales per unit in the USA” – $3,470 per square foot! But customers come is for... to Stew’s not only for the Goodies they can buy inside, but for each store’s beautiful Garden Center. In one year, our Garden Centers sell more than 25,000 Christmas trees, 100 trailer loads of pumpkins, and g one million annual flowers.
golf tournament
Garden “You can’t have a great Shop place to shop without Gift FIRST making it a CaTAlog GREAT PLACE TO WORK!”
gelato
22 Every week, Stew Leonard’s receives Hundreds of notes from Happy customers, recognizing our Team Members for exemplary service. As Stew Leonard is for... Sr. says, “Our mission is to create Happy customers.” Whether our customers are stopping by for a Hot dog at the Hoedown or bringing their families to enjoy a Halloween-themed Hayride, we love it when a customer H takes the time to tip their Hat to Stew Leonard’s!
hoedown Hall of fame Grill HUMANITARIAN AWARD
hayride Happy Customers
Happy people
HALLOWEEN DRESS-UP
23 I scream, you scream…more than 675,000 of Stew Leonard’s customers scream for Stew’s Ice Cream cones every year! Another 200,000 Ice Cream cones are given away free to customers who spend more is for... than $100 on an order. I Ice Cream internsHIPS
In one year, Stew Leonard’s will sell more than 225,000 gallons of fresh squeezed Juice. Before their is for... very eyes, customers can watch our Team Members squeeze and bottle a variety of Juices, including Grapefruit, Tangerine, Grapefruit & Orange Fusion, j and, of course, classic Fresh-Squeezed OJ. junior achievement
juice
24 The heart of Stew Leonard’s is our Kitchens, preparing hundreds of thousands of pounds of home-cooked meals each week and churning out specialty items like our Kettle chips. But we love it when even the is for... youngest of shoppers can get in on the act, either through our Kids’ cooking classes or through “Take Your Kids’ to Work Day” every April, when Team Members bring their sons and daughters to work for K the day at Stew’s. KING CRAB
KITCHENs on-site
KIDS’ TO WORK DAY
KETTLE CHIPS
KIDS’ COOKING CLASS 25 The Leonard family, once local dairy farmers, has been buying Locally produced farm fresh food since 1969. For Luscious apples and peaches, we head about an hour north to Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, is for... CT while Lebanon, CT is home to Prides Corners Farm, L our suppliers of perennials, shrubs and nursery stock. LOBSTERS
Local Farms
LOCAL NEWS
LEONARD FAMILY
LEARNING 26 Family is the backbone of our business at Stew Leonard’s, and that goes for our Team Members too – especially working Moms! Stew’s Mom’s Program features flexible hours for working Mothers, allowing is for... them to work around their children’s schedule with time off during school vacations and summers. Many of our top-selling products also use recipes from everybody’s favorite Mom, Mrs. Marianne Leonard, M including Mrs. Leonard’s Marinara!
MOm’s Program
Mentor
milk truck
meat department
mrs. Leonard’s Recipes milk mozzarella
27 For a family business that opened more than 40 years ago in Norwalk, CT with just seven employees, Stew Leonard’s certainly gets its fair share of National News attention. In addition to being recognized on is for... Fortune Magazine’s “The 100 Best Companies to Work For” list, Stew’s has been featured in The New York Times, Newsweek and The New York Post among N others. name tags norwalk, CT
newington, ct
national news 28 Each of our 2,500 Team Members goes through an Orientation where they learn about S.T.E.W: Satisfy the customer, Teamwork makes it happen, Excellence makes it better, Wow makes it fun. Even after is for... Orientation, Stew’s encourages Team Members to keep up the momentum through our “One-Idea Trips” around the country, searching for new ideas and o innovations.
olympics olives
orientation GREAT IDEAS! oranges one-idea trips
organic produce
29 Because of Stew Leonard’s commitment to customer service and the number of Products prepared fresh daily – such as our Pies, Pasta and Pizza - the store employs twice the number of staff as a traditional is for... grocery store, creating more jobs for the People in our local communities. We always look to Promote from within, giving all Team Members the chance to moo’ve on up the ladder of success. Team Members P also receive Platinum Benefits like Paternity Leave and Profit Sharing, and we regularly hold events like Pep Rallies. pies
pep rallies pasta pizza
pumpkins
30 produce
pineapples
profit sharing
Photo cakes promotions
31 The secret to our success is our continuing focus on Quality, so whether customers stop by Stew’s for a fresh-baked Quiche or even a Quesadilla, they know they are getting the highest-quality fare. But we is for... also want the overall Stew Leonard’s experience to be one of Quality, so we’re dedicated to providing Quick checkouts – so much so that on busy days, the office staff joins in and bags groceries to get customers q out faster! Quotes Quality products
quick checkout
32 Our Customer Service Rock of Commitment came into being in 1969 in the Norwalk store and now greets customers at all four Stew’s locations. This three-ton slab of granite Rock reads, “Rule 1: The Customer is is for... Always Right! Rule 2: If the Customer is Ever Wrong, Reread Rule 1.” Rule 1 and Rule 2 have earned Stew Leonard’s praise by numerous top business leaders and r remain the Rock of our business.
rice cakes
Recruiting
reusable bags
Rule 1 & Rule 2
recycle
33 Service with a Smile is rewarded here at Stew’s! We’ve provided more than $500,000 in Scholarships to deserving high school student Team Members and we also regularly highlight all of our Team Members’ is for... achievements through Stew’s News, Superstar Awards, and the Sweaty Palm Award, given to the Team Member who goes outside of his or her comfort zone to get the job done. Our Team Members also Wow! S our customers every day with dynamic “Show and Sell” set-ups, where they demo everything from our homemade Salsa to Soup. sweaty palm award scholarship winners
stew’s news
show & sell
34 santa soups
sushi
superstar Shrimp
suggestion box
salmon stew leonard drive
35 Stew Leonard’s has a long-standing tradition of giving Thanks through events such as Team Member Appreciation Day and through community events such as our annual “Turkey Bridgade.” More than 3,000 is for... Turkeys are distributed to churches, civic groups, elderly housing and senior nutrition programs, schools as well as police and fire departments in the Norwalk, Newington and Danbury, Connecticut and Yonkers, t New York communities to help provide Thanksgiving Day meals for families in need. tortilleria tortilla chips
Tree lighting
training
trailer trucks
36 teamwork team member appreciation day
tons of fun
turkey Donations thanksgiving catering
37 Stew’s definitely makes the grade when it comes to customer service, which is why we launched Stew Leonard’s University to teach other companies about our methods. Stew’s U has received Unbelievable is for... feedback from such international companies as Kraft, General Mills, AT&T and Citibank. u University ultra clean
unbelievably fresh
38 Stew Leonard’s has built a reputation in our local communities as a generous and giving corporate neighbor. Team Members are encouraged to make Volunteering part of their jobs. From serving up Vittles is for... at a local food bank or Venturing into local schools to do book readings or mentor children, Stew Leonard’s involvement in the community is a great source of v pride and is Vital to keeping our unity as a company. volume
volunteer
visionaries
Variety 39 Water safety is close to the hearts of the Leonard family, and, in 1990, The Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation was founded to promote Water safety awareness. In addition to spreading the Word is for... about Water safety, Stew Leonard’s also raises funds for other organizations through activities such as our Wishing Well and our Wine tastings with partners w such as the United Way and the YWCA. wine stores
wine tastings for charity
water safety
40 wellness
wow notes watermelon
wishing well
wow the cow
4141 The Stew Leonard’s X-perience is all about You! Whether you’ve taken the kids to visit their furry friends in our petting Zoo or Zipped in to pick up ingredients for a family dinner, every- is for... body here at Stew’s is dedicated to creating – xyz and keeping – happy customers. We hope to see you soon! Yogurt
Xtraordinary people
yummy
zoo
yonkers, ny 42 BY THE NUMBERS!
Awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships to high school student Team 82% of managers are promoted Members. from within.
500,000 lbs. As the World’s of lobster and almost 900,000 pounds of filet mignon are sold every year at Stew Leonard’s. Largest Dairy
Mangia! 250,000 pounds of Store, our customers buy more than mozzarella are made fresh every year. 600,000 pounds of butter, 800,000 cartons of eggs, and 80,000 pints of ice cream fly off our shelves every year. More than a million annuals and perennials are sold every spring to brighten our customers’ gardens. 52 current Team Members met their spouses at Stew’s.
Ho-ho-ho! 50,000 families every year choose their Christmas tree at Stew Leonard’s. 31% of Team Members have a family member working at Stew’s.
Bagels Galore Stew Leonard’s Food Stores Stew Leonard’s customers purchase are located in New York and almost four million Stew Leonard’s bagels Connecticut every year. Visit Us Online At www.stewleonards.com for directions to our stores Boo! Every Halloween, Stew Leonard’s sells more than 100,000 Stew Leonard’s Wines Stores are located in New York, New pumpkins. Jersey and Connecticut
Visit Us Online At www.stewswines.com 50 Hours The amount of training hours that Stew Leonard’s Team Members receive each year. Follow us on stewleonards @stewleonards
STEW LEONARD’S WINES ARE INDIVIDUALLY OWNED AND OPERATED. THEY ARE NOT A CHAIN AND ARE NOT A COOPERATIVE BUYING GROUP. THEY ARE NOT PART OF THE STEW LEONARD’S GROCERY CHAIN. EACH STORE PURCHASES PRODUCT SEPARATELY.
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