Stew Leonard's sets opening for 2nd NJ food & wine store

Farm-fresh, family-run grocery chain Stew Leonard’s is preparing to unveil its second New Jersey supermarket.

Scheduled to open May 17 at Styertowne Shopping Center in Clifton, the 56,000-square-foot store will offer produce, dairy and meats from local vendors and New Jersey farms.

In addition to several new animatronic shows, Stew Leonard’s in Clifton will feature the same signature elements found in its other locations, such as a one-way aisle and free ice cream or coffee with every $100 spent using the store’s downloadable loyalty app.

Since more than 80% of products sold by Stew Leonard’s are fresh, Clifton’s production areas “were designed as an open concept so that customers can see the store’s culinary teams hard at work,” the company said.

The new store takes over space left vacant by kosher supermarket chain Seasons. President and CEO Stew Leonard Jr. said the location “has the look and feel of a farmer’s market."

“Everything will be made fresh in front of our shoppers’ eyes, from bagels coming out of the oven to meat being cut to order. Plus, this is the most fun my family and I have ever put into a store, with new animatronic shows and some eye-popping dcor, including a 14-foot-tall lighthouse inspired by Old Barney.”

Cheers!

It will also be the new home of Stew Leonard’s Wine & Spirits of Clifton. The store is moving from its existing location at The Promenade Shops At Clifton to the interior of the supermarket at Styertowne Shopping Center. Subject to final approval from New Jersey Alcohol Beverage Control, shoppers will be able to find more than 1,200 wines, 1,100 spirits and 350 beers at the store, the chain said.

Stew Leonard’s did similarly when it made its New Jersey debut five years ago at Paramus Park, relocating its nearby Wine & Spirits outpost on Route 17 to the new store.

Jake Tavello, the company’s chief operating officer, told NJBIZ last year that one of the biggest reasons Stew Leonard’s decided to branch out into New Jersey was “the opportunity to merchandise food and wine together.”

“We can’t sell wine and food together in our stores in Connecticut and New York,” he said, adding that being able to finally do so “was exciting for us” and “something that our wine store customers had been asking for.”

Grow

Once open, Clifton will be the Connecticut-based retailer’s eighth location in the tri-state area According to the company, the upcoming store will employ more than 300 team members to start and add another 200 workers as added support during seasonal sales later this year.

Founded in 1969 by Stew Leonard Sr. as a single store in Norwalk, the company is now a $600 million business with over 2,500 workers. Known for its animatronic characters that entertain shoppers and its selection of dairy, meats, seafood, produce, bakery items, cheese and prepared foods, the New York Times nicknamed the banner “the Disneyland of Dairy Stores."

Located at 467 Allwood Road, Stew Leonard’s food store will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The wine & spirits store will be open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. selling beer and wine; the sale of liquor begins at 9 a.m. On Sundays, beer, wine and liquor sales will run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Copyright © 2024 BridgeTower Media. All Rights Reserved.