Stew Leonard's is a chain of six supermarkets in Connecticut and New York State, which Ripley's Believe It or Not! deemed "The World's Largest Dairy" and Fortune magazine listed as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For".
Opened in 1969 with seven employees in Norwalk, Connecticut, the chain now includes five stores in Connecticut and New York. The newest location opened in August 2017, in East Meadow, NY.
History
Clover Farms Dairy
Charles Leonard, a hatter in a sweatshop, founded Clover Farms Dairy in Norwalk, CT, in the early 1920s.
First store
In 1969, Stew Leonard opened the Clover Farms Dairy store in Norwalk.
Expansion
Stew Leonard acquired land for a second store in Danbury, CT, in the mid-1980s. The store opened in 1991.
Stew Leonard's announced plans to open a store in Yonkers, NY, in 1997. The store opened in September 1999.
The Leonard family began working to open a store on Long Island, in 2002. However, plans to open a store across from the Republic Airport in Farmingdale, NY fell through. In 2015, Stew Leonard's announced plans to open a store in Farmingdale in early 2016; the store opened in January 2016.
A store in Newington, Connecticut was announced in February 2006 and opened in April 2007.
Tax fraud
In 1993, Stew Leonard, Sr. was convicted of having committed tax fraud via an elaborate scheme to divert more than $17.1 million in cash register receipts over a 10-year period. The fraud, which involved a computer program designed to skim off sales, was directed by Stew Leonard, Sr., in concert with the company's CFO and store manager. Skimmed cash was placed in bundles in Leonard, Sr.'s office fireplace, to be later moved offshore or disguised as gifts. Leonard, Sr. was caught in June 1991 carrying $80,000 cash en route to the island of Saint Martin.
Leonard, Sr. pled guilty to the charges and, in 1993, was sentenced to 52 months in prison. He ultimately served 44 months before being released in June 1997.
Short-weighting
In 1993, shortly after Stew Leonard, Sr. and three other company executives had pled guilty in the tax fraud case, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection charged Stew Leonard's with short-weighting customers on multiple products. The department measured a 47% violation rate, compared with a statewide average of 7.2%. Stew Leonard, Jr. and Tom Leonard denied that these actions were intentional and claimed, "a larger percentage of products checked were, in fact, overweight than underweight", and, "we corrected every [mistake] before the inspector even left the store."
Stores
There are currently three stores in Connecticut:
- Norwalk, opened in 1969
- Danbury, opened in 1991
- Newington, opened in 2007
There are currently three stores in New York:
- Yonkers, opened in 1999
- Farmingdale, opened in 2016
- East Meadow, opened in 2017
It has been confirmed that a store in Paramus, New Jersey will open at the mall soon at Paramus Park mall, replacing the Sears store. This will be the first ever New Jersey Stew Leonard's store.
Features and layout
The New York Times called Stew Leonard's the "Disneyland of Dairy Stores." The stores are not set up like traditional grocery stores; the aisle configurations guide customers to walk through the entire store (although there are short cuts). As customers walk through the aisles, they are greeted by various employees dressed up in costumes and by animatronic characters, called the "Farm Fresh Five", that perform songs and dance. The stores also feature petting zoos and outdoor cafes in the warmer months, and offer tasting booths and a variety of prepared meals year round.
"Anyone who comes from Connecticut or thereabouts knows this landmark chain of grocery stores where mechanized cows sing and roosters crow," according to a writer for the Sun-Sentinel of Florida.
Corporate philosophy
Customer service
The store is notable for its customer service policy, which greets shoppers at each store's entrance, etched into a three-ton rock:
# The customer is always right.
- If the customer is ever wrong, re-read rule #1.
See also
- Jungle Jim's International Market
References
