NORWALK, Conn. – Stew Leonard Sr., the milkman who turned a small dairy store into a chain of unique supermarkets bearing his name, celebrated the 40th anniversary of its founding at its flagship store here Tuesday.
Stew Leonard’s also unveiled a 5,000-square-foot addition to the store showcasing expanded departments including bakery and coffee; and new pizza and pasta stations.
The addition was the 27th since the store was founded in December of 1969, during which it has grown from 17,000 square feet to more than 100,000 square feet, Stew Leonard Jr., son of the founder and chief executive officer of the four-store chain, told SN in an interview at the event.
“I don’t think there was ever a moment where we thought we could grow into something like this,” Leonard Jr. said. “It was more of a matter of adding things slowly and doing what our customers wanted.”
Leonard Sr., 80 and now retired, also unveiled a newly published biography at the event.
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