Stew Leonard Sr. (1929–2023), grocery store founder
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2 min readStew Leonard Sr. was the founder of the Stew Leonard’s chain of grocery stores.
- Died: April 26, 2023 (Who else died on April 26?)
- Details of death: Died at a New York City hospital of complications from pneumonia at the age of 93.
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Stew Leonard Sr.’s legacy
Leonard’s father founded Clover Farms Dairy, and Leonard and his brother inherited the family business in the 1950s. Initially, Leonard continued operating the dairy and delivering milk to nearby families. But when a highway was planned to go through the dairy’s land, Leonard shifted his approach. He bought new land and, in addition to raising dairy cattle there, he opened a retail store to sell the dairy products on site.
Over the years, Stew Leonard’s has expanded to seven stores in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, but its reputation is even larger than its number of locations. The stores offer a variety of entertainments for customers, including petting zoos, animatronic characters, tasting booths, and employees in costume. The New York Times once referred to the chain as the “Disneyland of Dairy Stores,” and it was named the world’s largest dairy by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Customers swear by Stew Leonard’s, and it has been ranked among the 100 best companies to work for by Fortune. The chain helped launch products like Newman’s Own salad dressing.
Leonard was convicted of tax fraud in 1993 after being caught skimming cash off the chain’s sale and served 44 months in prison. Customers remained loyal despite the revelation of the crime – several Stew Leonard’s stores were opened in the years following Leonard’s prison time.
Notable quote
“You know, everyone who comes to jail shows up saying they didn't do it. It was a mistake. It was almost funny after a while. I was determined not to be that guy. I wanted to talk about why I was there, to own up to what I did.” —from a 2009 interview for the Stamford Advocate
Tributes to Stew Leonard Sr.
Full obituary: The New York Times
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