Around The Store With Stew

October 8th

Pumpkins And Mums Are Awesome

The pumpkins (we’ll sell 250,000) are the best I’ve seen in years. Our greenhouses are loaded with bright colored mums. Look for a hard pumpkin and, try to get a nice stem. Had to raise the price $2 this year but, we’re getting the “cream of the crop.” Our pumpkin farmer said his cardboard (for the bins) has gone up from $9 last year to over $20 this year. He also has to pay his farmer workers $16 an hour, up 30% from last year. Throw fuel for his tractors on top of that. Most customers are buying three (3/$24) and adding the crazy shaped gourds to decorate their houses. Add some corn stalks and you’ll become a Martha Stewart!

Record Breaking Pumpkin

Shout out to Jamie Graham at the Topsfield Fair, who grew a 2,480-pound pumpkin! It’s a record. Check out the picture. We have a few 200 pounders at Stew’s, but they look like marbles compared to his!

Eat Local Now

I know it was hot this summer, but our farmers loved it. The local vegetables are amazing. Last night I had some roasted zucchini, squash, and eggplant. A little olive oil, and I filled my plate with veggies. You won’t find better local fruits and vegetables than at Stew’s. We tapped into over 50 different farms in N.J., N.Y., and Conn.

I'm Dieting...Again

I know what’s around the corner with Thanksgiving and December holiday celebrations. My problem? Everyone at the store says, "Hi Stew, taste these cannoli, taste this Honeycrisp apple cider donut, taste this eggnog, our new Monster Chocolate Milk, taste our turkey stuffing, etc., etc. If I don’t just nibble I’m toast and 5lbs. heavier when Thanksgiving arrives!

An Apple A Day

It’s the peak of apple season in New England. The LOCAL apples are incredible this season, but a little smaller due to the lack of rain this summer. When you talk “apples” with our farmers, we talk about the number of apples in each field box. Stew’s sells 72’s or 80’s (bigger and premium pick) and are $1.49lb. Some supermarkets will go “on sale” but will be selling 100’s. Keep your eye out. New varieties are exciting, too. It used to be Macintosh and Red Delicious, but now it’s Honeycrisp, SugarBees, Snap Dragons, and Evercrisps. Have some fun and try them. My favorite is still a Granny Smith because I love tart and crunchy and it’s the best baking apple, too.

Inflation Is BIG NEWS But There Are Always Ways To Save Money

1) Take advantage of our weekly specials. We sit down every week with our buyers and coordinate which suppliers are offering us some deals. They are constantly trying to market their products. We pass the savings along to you. We notice customers are stocking up with sale items and freezing them. This week our ranchers gave us a great deal on Porterhouse steaks ($9.99 - that’s a 30% discount) and lobster tails at $5.99 (40% discount). China loves lobster tails from Maine and Canada. They’re currently in lockdown, so there’s extra supply and we’re buying at a great price!

2) Use our App. We also offer “deals” in our App every week. Bret in our bakery (30+ year vet) was telling me that the French Bread sales tripled when we offered it at $2 off the regular price. This week you can get Stew’s Country Style Italian Bread at $1.99, which is a $1 savings.

3) Choose private label. Many national companies have been raising their prices and, in many cases, shrinking their packages. We’re seeing many of you switch to our Stew’s brand. I promise you that quality will be AS GOOD OR BETTER AND AT A LOWER PRICE! Many of you have been complaining to me about discontinuing Boar’s Head cold cuts (great products) but their price jumped to over $3lb more than our Stew’s Gold brand. A majority of you have switched with no problem. It was a big move, but we have a local meat supplier (family business too) in N.J. to roast our Stew’s Gold. We also have a local pastrami and roast beef roaster too. We had to make a big decision to eliminate Boar’s Head (after 30 years at Stew’s), but we couldn’t keep accepting price increases in these inflationary times. What’s happened? Sales of our cold cuts went up. Taste the Stew’s Gold. Close your eyes and taste, and you’ll like it better.

4) Buy local. You’ll save on trucking costs and support a local business (usually family owned too). I was talking to a chef in Rhode Island who said everything in the state is “local” because it’s so small. He went to visit a friend in Texas and “local” was a different story. I define local as … if I can leave my house in the morning, have lunch with the farmer, and be home for dinner with my family, THAT’S LOCAL!

5) Take advantage of online specials. We’re offering a $30 deal ($10 off your next 3 deliveries) if you try our delivery service at Stewleonards.com. Delivery is growing every day and we want to encourage you to try our new website and we’re hoping you’ll get hooked!

6) Look for new product introductions. The cool thing about Stew’s is we do 3-5 times the sales of a normal supermarket. Companies are lined up every day to introduce their products in our stores. We have our own “Shark Tank” going on daily. These companies offer introductory pricing. Look for them when you shop.

Goodbye "Diet" and Hello "Zero Sugar"

Doesn’t zero sugar sound better? Many of our beverage suppliers are telling us they are eliminating the word “diet.” My Dad and I are addicted to “SPARKLING ICE.” It’s a sparkling drink and, of course, has zero sugar. We both agree, Black Raspberry is the best flavor.

Our Dairy Farmer Is Proud Of His Farm

We buy milk from several dairy farms but have strict quality standards. After all, Stew’s started as a dairy over 100 years ago. Many customers say that their kids will only drink Stew’s milk and it’s because of our great farmers. Mike McManus and his wife in Homer, New York, are known for their exceptional nutritional and environmental efforts. They’ve won National and New York State awards and Cornell Ag Students visit their farm to learn about their techniques. They have 1,000 Holstein cows and each has an average of 2 acres to graze. I only live on a half an acre! 

I Got A Slap On The Wrist

It was good while it lasted but we got a “cease and desist” from Warner Bros. about using the “Ted Lasso” name on our shortbread cookies. I binge watched the Apple TV+ series and even put up a personal endorsement in our stores. We had the sign, the shortbread cookies, and I thought we had one big happy family. Well, not according to copyright law. No more “Ted Lasso” name. We’re just going to call them “OUR SECRET SHORTBREAD COOKIES.” I’m still going to endorse the show. Over 500 million people can’t be wrong. Also, they've won 7 Emmys! To show how excited I am about the show, look at my Halloween picture last year. 

Products That Are Rattling The Cage

Winners - Stew’s organic sweet potato chips, 8pk Stew’s Organic Popcorn (great for kids), Chonky stuffed cookies from Long Island, Stew’s Sunday Gravy, donuts made with Honeycrisp apple cider, flap steaks, 4 oz. lobster tails, Stew’s pasta, pumpkins, and local apples! My daughter Chase also just brought in a new singing Stewie the Duck plush toy.

Losers – Vegan cheese, plant-based chocolate chip cookies and chicken tenders, dried mushrooms, dried peppers, and dried herbs in Produce. And don’t tell my father (hope he doesn’t read this), his new favorite fish is the Artic Char but it’s not your favorite! It’s on its way out and I expect a phone call!

Check Out My Daughter Blake’s Newsletter About Wines & Spirits

She attended the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley and became a certified Sommelier. Blake also worked with Gina Gallo selling wines in the Los Angeles area and, later, gave winery tours in Napa Valley. She worked the streets of NYC selling wine to the chefs of many famous restaurants. Now, Blake oversees our family’s wine and spirits business. She has Chef Robert Irvine visiting soon, had lunch with Sara Jessica Parker who has a new Sauvignon Blanc, introduced Adam Levine’s pink tequila, and will give you some “behind the scenes” insights on the wine and spirits business. Do I sound like a proud Dad? READ MORE

40,000 Free Swimming Lessons For Needy Kids!

We had our 25th annual golf tournament for the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation. The highlight of the day was a speech from CEO Lucria Ortiz who leads the Yonkers YMCA. Due to the tough neighborhoods in Yonkers, they have a program called “SNUG.” That’s GUNS spelled backwards. They try to get kids that are on the wrong track, on the right track. How do they do that? Offer FREE SWIM LESSONS sponsored by our foundation. She told us a story about a young man named Michael who turned his life around after learning to swim. He went on to be a lifeguard and is now an instructor at the Y. His son is taking swim lessons there and when you ask him what he wants to be when he grows up, he says, “A lifeguard, like my dad!” I had tears in my eyes.

Facelift For Our Norwalk Store

After 54 years and 20 plus additions our store needed a refresh. What’s happening? 1.) We tore down the outdoor “hoop house” and are enclosing the outdoor garden center and Christmas tree shop. 2.) There will also be an indoor seating area for our Burger Barn. 3.) The store will be 50% more energy and environmentally friendly. We’re also exploring solar panels. 4.) We’re enclosing the Farmer’s Market front entrance. 5.) The coffee roasting and ice cream department will be moved together and inside the store. You’ll be able to order your coffee ahead of shopping off our App. It’ll be waiting for you at the store like at Starbucks. 6.) Redesigning the bakery with new state-of-the art deck ovens. Should be done by the Spring.

Cool ... Our Bakery Is 95% Recyclable Packaging!

What’s the 5%? The plastic window in our paper boxes and our bagel bags (which you can reuse). We’re working on it!

You Really Ate Up Our “Real Deal” Lobster Roll Deal

We are buttering the lobster rolls in the store on Saturday-Monday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The best you can buy at only $15. A customer was driving back from the Hamptons and told us they paid $45 for one, but that’s the Hamptons!

Fun For The Kids

We have a lot of fun events planned for kids this fall, including our Halloween Drive Thrus, Hay Mazes in our Pumpkin Patches, our costume character breakfasts, hay bale movie nights, and our birthday parties are back. We also have a big trick or treat event for the kids and get 1,000’s of parents and kids attending. Also, if the kids come to the store on Halloween to show us their costume, they get a free ice cream cone.

Here's What Makes Me Smile

Norwalk: Maury was so friendly and helpful in pulling my deli order together for my daughter’s birthday party. When I went to pick them up, they were ready for me, and I didn’t have to wait. I’ll be sure to keep Maury in mind for any future orders! 

Danbury: Shout out to Jesus and Empi in the Deli.They took great care of me and even let me try the cold cuts before I bought them!

Paramus: BTW, Rose in Seafood had me try all the seafood salads at the store recently. I’m now addicted to the Yellowfin Tuna Salad. 

Yonkers: I wanted to take some time and give praise to one of your employees, Paul, who works in Seafood. He answered so many of my questions, I now feel like a seafood expert!

Farmingdale: I recently lost my wedding band and was frantically looking for it. Retracing my steps, I called the store and Nick, a security guard, started searching for the ring. My husband joined in and the two of them scoured the parking lot (as well as the store) with Nick literally on his hands and knees searching under cars. The ring was eventually found in a lot not too far from Stew’s. I called Stew’s to let them know it was found and was told that Nick was still searching for the ring. Those words moved me to tears. I’d also like to thank Joe and the rest of the staff that joined in the search. Words can’t express the gratitude I have towards the team at Stew’s. 

East Meadow: Thanks to Willy for being so kind to me and my family. He saw us get out of the car with our family, asked if we needed help, and brought us a cart. A simple gesture, but how nice! Willy went above and beyond for us. We’ll definitely be back. Thank you, Willy!

September 4th 

You Can Now Shop At StewLeonards.com!

We just launched our redesigned website with new ways to shop at StewLeonards.com. You can shop by Specials, What's New, Local, Organic, recipes, and more, as you earn points on the Stew Leonard's app. We're even giving you $10 off your first delivery or curbside pickup order when you use promo code NEWSITE at checkout. You can also get same day delivery to homes up to a 45-minute drive away from all seven of our store locations.

Amazon Fresh

just opened in Paramus, NJ. I visited last Saturday with my nephew Jake. If you want to see an ultra-modern store, go check it out. They are also opening in Danbury and Westport, CT. First, you scan your Prime app as you enter the store. Then, there must be 1,000 cameras in the ceiling recording every item you put in your cart. Everything is by the UNIT. Honey Crisp apples are 99 cents EACH. It’s like what Trader Joe’s does with their bananas. Met a customer in the store from Stew’s and he recommended we get their Rotisserie Chicken. We “bought” one… meaning we just walked out of the store without going through a check-out lane. Amazon recorded all our purchases and simply charged our account. Problem is, I looked at a cookie package and Nutpods in the dairy aisle and then put them back, but I guess we didn’t put them back in the right spot. We were charged for those two items along with the chicken. Like all new stores, they have some kinks to work out, but it’s worth a visit.

Drones In The Cattle Pasture

Shane Tiffany at the Tiffany Cattle Ranch in Kansas told me that it’s hard to hire cowboys to go out and check on the cattle on his 7,000 acres. Now he’s experimenting with drones. To deliver the feed to his cattle, he’s also experimenting with driverless tractors! Who would have thought?

Inflation, Inflation, Inflation

Turn on the news, talk to your friends, and inflation is today’s buzzword. The reality is that our farmers and ranchers are getting hit with higher costs. When I speak to them, they tell me, "It's costing me double to fill up my tractor with fuel. And corn prices (#1 grain for their animals), which cost me $5-$6 a bushel last year, are over $7 this year." We’re pushing back with our suppliers and splitting the cost increases. I do want to keep them happy because they are the ones that keep Stew’s shelves FULL!

The Markets Seem To Be Easing Up

A customer asked me how much the lobster price was, and I said, “I have to check my watch!” We were selling lobsters at $16.99 lb. last year. Now they are under $10. We’ve held ground beef at $3.99 lb. all year and many of the restaurant cut steaks have come down in price (Filet, Ribeye, Strip, Porterhouse). Fingers crossed.

We Gathered 15 Customers At Stew’s In Farmingdale

to discuss their shopping experience. Their feedback makes me happy:

• Have more specials! (We’re working on that!)

• Very helpful butchers. Need a sign to tell us how to freeze meat. Double wrap in freezer paper, plastic wrap, and then put in zip-lock bag. Main thing is to keep the air out. Also, LABEL IT. I pull things out of my freezer and forget how long ago I bought them!

• We want more product demos! We have recently reintroduced our demo program around the store. You should see at least 6 going on during the day. Also, you can always ask for a taste!

• We love Boar’s Head cold cuts… What happened? We parted ways due to continual price increases. They are now around $15.99 - $16.99 lb. for turkey. We introduced Stew’s Gold Reserve and it’s
$3 lb. less. We’ve done taste tests and Stew’s Gold Reserve beat Boar’s Head in a blind taste test. Plus, Stew’s Gold Reserve turkeys are never given any antibiotics or added hormones. Much cleaner product. Sales have been robust and please ask for a sample at the deli counter.

• Products we want: Bring back your original Stew’s Balsamic Vinaigrette (we’re working on it!). Bring back the garlic butter … We want eggplant meatballs … Bring back the dog biscuit bar … Love the Farmer’s Focus chicken with the QR code to the farm … Love the fish but bring in some Arctic Char.

• We like your amazing people … They’re very helpful and friendly … Your managers must treat them well (We like to say you can’t have happy customers without happy team members!) It’s clean … Packages are appealing, and everything is fresh on the shelves … It’s a family business and you help the community … My kids love the new singing banana plush toy (that’s my daughter Chase singing!)

• We don’t like... that there are not enough “cut throughs” in your one-way aisles … Can’t buy one muffin/croissant/bagel at the coffee bar (like Starbucks) … Why don’t you sell your smaller containers of picnic salads at the deli … Same with the croutons in Produce … One customer had 104 “free ice creams and coffees” on her app. (We’re working on another way to use your app points. Hang in there!)

Last Chance To Get Local

Our local fruit and vegetable season should end by the first week of October. Our Yonkers store had great success with a local farmers’ market event. Customers loved it! The recent heat and high temperatures (over 100 degrees!) in California are affecting crops and making the harvest difficult.

Changing Over From Summer To Fall

Goodbye to beach items and shrinking our displays of picnic salads! Hello to chicken pot pies, back to school items, football party appetizers, chicken wings and hot soups. We are also setting up our HALLOWEEN DRIVE THROUGHS at each store. The kids love them and so do the parents. We’re setting up Trick or Treat events, etc. Love seeing the fall mums in the store. We love color!

Cool New Products

We just introduced Stew’s organic popcorn in 50-calorie snack packs. We sell over 1,000 bags a week. Stew’s Everything Bagel Kettle Chips (we saw them at Trader Joe’s), Stew’s Pretzel Rods, and Stew’s Sweet Potato Tortilla Style Chips. Killing it. 12,000 bags in 6 weeks. See more NEW Products HERE

Products We're Working On

Queso sauce dip, Keto-friendly protein mix, shredded crab salad at the fish bar, a “cracker jack” type popcorn mix with caramel corn and roasted peanuts. Yum! Plus, a fresh made focaccia in my sister’s bakery.

Helping The Community

We sponsored the following organizations recently through our Wishing Well, including the Connecticut Food Bank, St. Jude, Food Rescue US, Farmingdale Public Library, St Killian’s Food Pantry, Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement, Firefighters Association of the State of New York, Newington High School Project Graduation, Literacy Volunteers of Central Connecticut, and many more. Also, any leftover food is donated. We usually have 3 vans show up each morning and the food oftentimes goes to support senior citizens.

Update on Stewie the Duck Swim School

This spring a dream will come true! We are going to open a swim school in honor of our son in Norwalk, CT. I grew up with learning the famous BOGO (Buy One GET One FREE!). In the swim school, it’s going to be Buy One GIVE One FREE! Everyone buying a lesson will sponsor a lesson for an underprivileged child in the community. We now give out 10,000 free lessons a year mainly through YMCAs and Red Cross. We are hoping to double that when the school opens. BTW, any donations go toward these efforts through our tax-exempt charity. Check out the website, Stewietheduck.org.

What Are You Building In Your Original Norwalk Store?

Long overdue renovation of the Norwalk store. We took down the 25-year-old “hoop house” and are attaching the Garden Center to our main building. That’s stage one. Then, we are going to upgrade all our display cases in the store with energy efficient lighting and refrigeration. Store should look brand new, but we won’t be changing the character! Then, in January, we’re going to combine ice cream and coffee and move the bathrooms. And we’re not going to close the store down for one minute! Seat belts on!

Lunch with Dad

You have to cherish the moments you get with your 92-year-old father. He’s still sharp as a tack and so is my mom at 90. Hope I have their genes. We talked about life and how important it is to have a “grateful list” each day. Of course, we discussed Stew’s (insists that the corn is fresh from the farm each morning!) and our favorite topic … losing weight!

Wine/Liquor

The talk of the Stew’s liquor stores is HIGH NOON hard seltzer. It’s flying. Also, Rosés continue their hot streak. Jessie and Jon Bon Jovi continue to kill it with their Hampton Water Rosé. My daughter Blake just returned from France (her husband Edouard is from Bordeaux). They made some great connections with some outstanding small vineyards and will be importing soon. These will be added to our hidden gems collection that drinks like wine for twice the price! And … tequila, tequila, tequila! This is a category that continues strong sales momentum. Casamigos is a top seller in the wine stores. First time a tequila has been in the top 3 spot!

What’s Trending On Our Instagram Channel

• A highlight reel of Charli D’Amelio and family’s visit to Stew’s reeled in over 67K plays this week!
• A hot, buttered lobster roll video reached over 40K plays.
• Facebook Shop went bananas last week for the Singing Banana plush toy. It reached 10K, sending 150 “clicks” to the Shop The Gift site.

My Daughter Ryann’s 1^st Wedding Anniversary

With over 4.4 million plays on Facebook and YouTube, my father-daughter dance video celebrated Ryann and Matt’s wedding day. In honor of their first wedding anniversary, I thought it would be fun to share the video again. If you tune in, make sure you have a box of tissues handy!

Here's What Makes Me Smile

Danbury: “Andres approached me and asked me what I was looking for. I needed some mashed avocado. He went and made it for me! He did it with a smile on his face and positive energy. You are very lucky to have Andres as a part of your team!’

East Meadow: “My daughter got her finger caught in the cart. She was screaming and Sheila came over with a bag of ice. Sheila was so sweet, patient, and helpful the entire time!

Newington: “Mark to the rescue! While I was leaving your store my bag broke, and I dropped all my items including a four pack of Stewart’s cream soda. You can imagine how embarrassed I was. Mark came straight over and immediately replaced the soda. You have a shining star as an employee at your establishment and I couldn’t be more thankful to Mark for helping me. Thank you, Mark!”

Paramus: “I needed help ordering catering due to the death of a friend. I called your store and Anneika answered and was able to help me greatly. She was extremely customer friendly, knew her products, polite, and patient. Anneika is truly a great employee and an asset to Stew Leonard’s.”
“A couple of weeks ago when I was in the Paramus store, I stopped by the very busy, clean, and fresh Seafood Dept. to see what fillet I was going to grill for dinner. Since there were so many salmon fillet choices, I asked for help/suggestions. That's when I was directed to Rose. She was so kind to take the time to tell me the differences and made some suggestions. Thank you so much, Rose! My husband said that the salmon fillet that we grilled was absolutely DELISH!”

Farmingdale: “Customers from the focus group RAVED about George in Produce and our cashiers Lorna and Margo (always a line of customers waiting for her!).

Yonkers: “I dropped my ice coffee, as I bent over to pick it up, my shopping cart and daughter started rolling into the parking lot. Quenton came SPRINTING/FLYING across the parking lot to grab the cart. He was amazing. You need to give Quenton a raise!

Norwalk: “I called the wine store to pick up an order. I hung up and realized I hadn’t given him my name or car info. When I pulled up to the curb, Moises smiled, waved, and called out, “Hello, it’s so good to see you today!” I’m guessing you don’t have any other customers with bright blue cars. I loved my case of King’s Flower Rosé & Fireball Nippers! HAHA! This is just one of the MANY reasons I no longer buy alcohol anyplace else!”

August 6

Everyone at Stew's Had a Chance to Win  $820 Million

We treated all our Team Members at Stew’s to a Mega Millions lottery ticket and gave them a shot at becoming a mega millionaire!

Team Member Shoutouts

• Samantha in Yonkers ran out to the parking lot to find a customer after she found the shopper’s purse with all her credit cards, driver’s license, debit card, etc. Thank you, Sam!

• A customer wrote in to tell us that Chantal in Danbury jump started her car. As the customer wrote, “Chantal’s generosity and kindness were much appreciated.” Thank you also to Kelly and Luigi in Farmingdale for helping another stranded customer by jump starting her car.

• A Norwalk catering customer tells us, “Wendy in Norwalk was patient and helped me organize a catering order for my party. It was a real success!”

• “Nelson in East Meadow went out of his way to help me pick THE BEST selection of produce,” said a shopper on Long Island.

• In Newington: “Shawn made me a deli sandwich on the spot. He even walked me to the register and helped me grab a few items I forgot.”

• And in Paramus, “Michelle was very kind by helping me replace my Stew’s gift card.”

Leonard Family Updates

I brought my Dad to the store over the 4th of July. Wow was he happy! 100 customers must have greeted him. “I remember when you delivered milk to my house,” was a common theme.

Big news! My sister Jill’s kidney failed a few years ago, but she just had a successful transplant operation and is smiling “ear to ear.”

More big news! I'm a grandfather again. My daughter Blake had a baby girl and gave her another unique name, Inés, like she did with the two boys, Romeo, and Axel. Mom and daughter are doing great.

We did a tasting of Jesse Bongiovi's wine, Hampton Water, at the Farmingdale Wine Store. There were 100 signed bottles by his dad, Jon Bon Jovi, and they raffled off an autographed guitar. Big success!

Stewie The Duck Swim School

My wife Kim and I are working on opening a Stewie the Duck Swim School in Norwalk this winter across the street from the grocery store, next door to Stew’s Wines. All the profits from the swim school will be donated right back into the community – our goal is to give away 10,000 free swim lessons every year to families who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford them. We’ll post more information on the Stewie the Duck website once we get closer to the grand opening.

What I'm Grilling

One of the fun things I’ve been grilling this summer is vegetable pizza. I call this a MOP pizza, so you remember what goes on it – mushrooms, onions, and peppers. I added some grilled corn, too, and of course plenty of our fresh mozzarella. CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE