Connecticut-based Stew Leonard’s opened its newest location in Clifton, N.J. on May 17.
Event attendees at the pre-opening, which was May 14, included CEO Stew Leonard, Jr., his mother Marianne Leonard, and state and local officials.
In preparation for the grand opening of the new 56,000-square-foot store, the party in the parking lot was a sight to behold, featuring mascots, cows, and a statue unveiling.
The festivities included a ribbon cutting (cut by cows chewing through a hay ribbon) as well as an unveiling by Marianne of a 300-pound bronze statue of her late husband, Stew Leonard, Sr.
The late founder was originally a milkman before founding the grocery store chain, and the attendees saluted him with a toast of milk. With an emphasis on freshness, the store also features produce local to the tri-state area, with much of it coming from New Jersey.
The store will bring over 400 jobs to Clifton, according to a release from Stew Leonard’s.
In a statement on Stew Leonard’s website, Stew Leonard, Jr. said, “this is the most fun my family and I have ever put into a store, with new animatronic shows and some eye-popping decor, including a 14-foot-tall lighthouse inspired by Old Barney,” the Jersey-famous lighthouse at the tip of Long Beach Island.
To drive loyalty, for every $100 spent in-store, shoppers get complimentary ice cream, made in-house at their ice cream counter.
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