Those who love Stew Leonard’s Wines of Farmingdale can now anticipate the grocery store. The company recently announced that it is opening its first Long Island store in
Farmingdale in early 2016. Known for their fresh dairy products, bakery and large produce department, the new grocery store will be located in the Airport Plaza shopping center, across from the Stew Leonard’s Wines of Farmingdale store.
“We are very pleased that Stew Leonard’s chose Kimco’s Airport Plaza shopping center for their first location on Long Island. We are focused on partnering with best-in-class tenants, and Stew Leonard’s is no exception—they are a highly-regarded, one-of-a-kind grocer that will be a wonderful addition to the shopping center,” said Josh Weinkranz, Kimco’s northeast regional president.
Founded as a dairy store in 1969 in Norwalk, CT, the family-owned and operated store has three additional locations in Danbury and Newington, CT, and in Yonkers. The new location has been envisioned by the company for several years, and Stew Leonard Jr., the company’s president and CEO, is excited to see the store in 2016.
“We are thrilled to finally be building a Stew Leonard’s in Farmingdale,” said Leonard Jr.
“This has been a dream of our family’s since 2002, when we first started exploring options for a new store on Long Island,” he said. “We know we’ll be welcomed with open arms by all of our friends in Farmingdale and throughout Suffolk County.”
Long Island-based and family-owned J. Petrocelli Contracting will begin construction on the new store in early 2015. Once opened, the 60,000 square foot store will provide up to 400 jobs, a significant portion of which will be full time, offering a full array of benefits.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said it’s “a business model that Suffolk County embraces and supports.”
“The Farmingdale location will create hundreds of jobs and support our local agricultural industry, which are both vital to the economic prosperity of Suffolk County and our region,” Bellone said. “This has been a long time coming and I wish them all the future success.”
Recognized as “The World’s Largest Dairy Store” by Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, each Stew Leonard’s store carries only 2,200 items, chosen for their freshness, quality and value, and residents are pleased to see this new addition to their town.
“I’ve been to the Stew Leonard’s in Yonkers, and I wished that the store was within driving distance—and now there is going to be. Next year I can buy wine across the street, and then
I can go to the supermarket to buy stuff to make dinner to go with it,” said Joan Canissi.
“I have never heard of the store before, but it’s exciting to get a new store that I can get groceries at in the area. I plan on going to Stew Leonard’s when it opens, and it will most likely be a place where I will get my groceries often,” said Michelle Pepetti.
For more information about Stew Leonards, visit the website at www.stewleonards.com.
