Stew Leonard's celebrates 10 years on Long Island, ties growth to region's farming industry

Outside Stew Leonard's grocery store in Farmingdale Tuesday morning, two Scottish Highland cows greeted customers as the supermarket celebrated 10 years of business on Long Island.

Stew Leonard Jr., the eponymous president and CEO of the regional grocery chain, said his family's business has long relied on local farmers, fishermen and ranchers to fill its shelves across the company's eight regional locations.

Leonard said the company has seen consistent growth on Long Island since opening its first store here in 2016, in Farmingdale. It opened its second, in East Meadow, the following year. 

"We've sold a million gallons of milk since we've opened up here," Leonard said. "We've sold a quarter of million lobster rolls since we've been here ... and then bagels, we've done 2 million bagels."

Suffolk County and local agricultural officials, who joined Leonard to commemorate the anniversary, touted the products produced by Suffolk's $364 million agriculture sector, crediting the industry for part of the grocer’s popularity with customers. Industry experts say Island farmers and their products, which make their way to grocery shelves, restaurant menus and eventually consumers' dining tables, are a linchpin of the local economy.

Last year, privately owned Stew Leonard's brought in nearly $600 million in sales across its eight stores in the Northeast, including its Long Island stores, the company said. 

Stew Leonard’s, founded in Norwalk, Connecticut, in 1969, buys more than 250,000 pounds of Long Island-grown produce each year, including lettuce, beats, corn and eggplant, the company said. The grocer sources its products from farms in Riverhead, East Quogue, Calverton and Manorville.

Leonard said the family business got its start as a seller of milk, but quickly built relationships with Connecticut farmers and expanded its offerings. 

“We had eight items when we opened in 1969," said Leonard, whose family's connection to the dairy and grocery industry dates to the 1920s. "We have 3,000 now."

Agriculture experts say the Island's farmers remain a major contributor to the supply chains of local businesses and represent an important economic engine in the region. The sale of fruits, nuts and berries accounted for $53.6 million in economic value, according to 2022 figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited by Suffolk County. Sales of vegetables, melons and potatoes accounted for $44.5 million in economic value.

“Long Island farmers are not only a source of jobs for local people, we’re also producing food locally,” said Laurie McBride, president of the Long Island Farm Bureau. McBride said there has been increasing interest from both consumers and local businesses in selling fresh, locally sourced goods.

"We also have a lot of farmer’s markets, farm stands and grocery store chains that support our local producers,” McBride said.

LI's agricultural roots

While there is some agriculture activity in Nassau, the majority of the Island’s farms and other food producers and growers are in Suffolk, which has nearly 34,000 acres of active farmland and agricultural production, according to county data.

“The first economy of Long Island was made by those who worked the land and sea, and we still have a thriving agricultural industry in Suffolk County," County Executive Edward P. Romaine said in a text message. "We continue to preserve open space for agricultural use and work with industry leaders to ensure Suffolk does all it can to keep the agriculture a cornerstone of the county’s economy.”

In recognition of Stew Leonard's time in Suffolk and role supporting local agriculture, Romaine proclaimed Jan. 20 "Stew Leonard Day." 

The county’s agriculture sector directly employs about 2,400 people and supports an additional 417 jobs, according to county data. In total, the sector accounted for $109 million in income from jobs, and a total economic output of $353.2 million, according to an analysis by Implan, an economic impact analysis company based in Huntersville, North Carolina.

Anna Mannucci, executive chef of Minnow at The Galley Ho in New Suffolk, said about 75% of the seasonal restaurant’s menu comes from agriculture and aquaculture sources on the Island. 

“We try to do the most farm-to-table that we can, and support all the producers,” said Mannucci, whose restaurant will open for its fifth season in May. “We value the effort that they do. It’s a laborious job and it’s not easy.”

While the restaurant could save by using products from large distributors, Mannucci said she prefers to use locally sourced produce that is in season, even if it means paying premium prices. 

“We believe in the things we are doing,” she said. “I think we need to go back to the basics, to real food, to the seasonal food. It’s worth it.”

Danny Schmidt, owner and operator of Schmidt's Country Market in Quogue, a longtime buyer of locally sourced produce, said interest in locally grown products is high among customers, particularly out east. 

"If you can provide a local great product, people want it," said Schmidt, whose family started the grocery business in 1981. “A lot of people go out of their way to find local produce."