Stew Leonard’s Debuts 1st Podcast
Stew Leonard’s has launched its first-ever podcast, “LegenDAIRY.” Referencing the Leonard family’s roots in the dairy industry, the podcast is co-hosted by cousins Chase Leonard and Andrew Hollis, grandchildren of store founder Stew Leonard Sr. Each episode delves into the entrepreneurial backstories that enabled Stew Leonard’s to go from a single store founded in 1969 to a nearly $600 million business with seven stores in three states.
“Before opening Stew Leonard’s, our grandfather was a milkman and a small-business owner,” noted Hollis, who works as a grocery manager at Stew Leonard’s in Yonkers, N.Y. “He instilled an entrepreneurial spirit in our family and, in turn, the more than 2,500 team members who work for Stew’s. There’s an overarching attitude of ‘let’s try it’ when it comes to new products and new concepts. We have some great stories to tell.”
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“Growing up, my family’s dinner conversations weren’t just about food on the table,” said Leonard, senior photo and video producer at Stew Leonard’s. “They were about the bread my Aunt Bethy had baked that day or about the local farmer who grew the lettuce for our salad. From turkey on our Thanksgiving table to the milk I pour in my morning coffee, there are Stew Leonard’s team members, as well as farmers, growers and vendors, with their own stories to tell. ‘LegenDAIRY’ will peel back each of those layers.”
The first episode of “LegenDAIRY” is now available on all listening platforms. The podcast’s inaugural season will consist of 10 episodes, released monthly, with topics generated from other members of the Leonard family and team members, as well from customers’ most frequently asked questions.
Episode one, “Every Product Has A Story,” will focus on a few of Stew Leonard’s best-selling products, while future episodes will include deep dives into customer service, the in-store experience and trends. Special guests during the season will include President and CEO Stew Leonard Jr. (Chase’s father) and Beth Leonard Hollis (Andrew’s mother), who started the largest in-store scratch bakery at the grocer.
Family-owned and -operated Stew Leonard’s has seven stores in Norwalk, Danbury and Newington, Conn.; East Meadow, Farmingdale and Yonkers, N.Y.; and Paramus, N.J. An eighth store is slated to open in Clifton, N.J., in 2024. Stew Leonard’s was named one of Progressive Grocer’s Top 10 Regional Grocers in 2023.
