Stew Leonard's

The task of helping mom buy groceries for six kids was never one that I volunteered for unless a it involved a trip to the "Disneyland" of grocery stores. As a little boy living in Connecticut, my mom and I would would drive past several grocery stores during our 40 minute trips to Stew Leonard's. Workers often wore costumes, gave out large samples, and let the children pull the bell to make the cow "moo". Now, 15 years later, the grocery store has been attracting children from all over by putting on events like Friday Disney Movies and Saturday festivals including autographs by the characters, games, and dancing at Stew's Grill.

This dairy-themed grocery store has not only had success with children. They have focused their time and energy to hire the best employees and to keep them happy in an effort to keep all customers coming back. The 40-year old company has never had a lay-off, 81% of the management team has been promoted from within, and in February of this year, they were as one of the 100 best companies to work for the tenth straight year.

“The secret is simple: A great place to shop must first be a great place to work,” said Stew Leonard Jr., the company’s CEO. In 1992, Stew Leonard's earned an entry into The Guinness Book of World Records for having "the greatest sales per unit area of any single food store in the United States." With steadily increasing revenues now topping $400 million (2010), it's apparent that Stew Leonard's has successfully found a way to differentiate themselves from competitors.