Specialty grocer Stew Leonard’s has launched LegenDAIRY, its first podcast.
A play on the Leonard family’s roots in the dairy industry, the LegenDAIRY podcast is co-hosted by cousins Chase Leonard and Andrew Hollis (pictured above), grandchildren of store founder Stew Leonard, Sr.
Each episode explores the entrepreneurial backstories of their family business’ growth from a small dairy store founded in 1969 to a nearly $600 million business operating seven stores in three states.
The podcast was inspired by the talk around the co-hosts’ dinner tables growing up. As members of the third generation of a family owned and operated business, they've had front row seats to see how products go from the shelves at Stew Leonard’s and into shoppers’ carts, said the retailer.
“Before opening Stew Leonard’s, our grandfather was a milkman and a small business owner,” noted Hollis, who serves as grocery manager at Stew Leonard’s in Yonkers. “He instilled an entrepreneurial spirit in our family and, in turn, the more than 2,500 Team Members who work for Stew’s. There’s an overarching attitude of ‘let’s try it’ when it comes to new products and new concepts. We have some great stories to tell.”
“Growing up, my family’s dinner conversations weren’t just about food on the table,” said Chase Leonard, who is the senior photo and video producer at Stew Leonard’s. “They were about the bread my Aunt Bethy had baked that day or about the local farmer who grew the lettuce for our salad. From turkey on our Thanksgiving table to the milk I pour in my morning coffee, there are Stew Leonard’s Team Members as well as farmers, growers, and vendors with their own stories to tell. LegenDAIRY will peel back each of those layers.”
The first episode is available on all listening platforms including YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & Audible, and Spotify. This first season will offer ten episodes, released monthly. Topics are gathered from other members of the Leonard family and team members, as well as taken from customers’ most frequently asked questions.
Episode one, titled “Every Product Has A Story,” will focus on a few of Stew Leonard’s best-selling products. Future episodes will include deep dives into customer service, the in-store experience, and trends. Special guests will join future episodes, including Chase’s father, store president & CEO, Stew Leonard, Jr. and Beth Leonard Hollis, Andrew’s mother, who started the largest in-store scratch bakery at Stew’s.
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