Stew Leonard Jr. is the renowned president and CEO of a well-respected, third-generation-managed chain of upscale grocery stores in the Northeast, a familiar voice on the radio from his commercials, who seamlessly expanded into wine and spirits retailing more than 25 years ago. While he’s earned numerous accolades for his business acumen and customer service, he’s most proud of his efforts to ensure water safety for children. The cause is dear to him—born out of personal tragedy—and ongoing as Leonard envisions widening his efforts and contributions in the years to come.
Leonard and his wife, Kim, created the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation in 1990 to raise funds for water safety awareness and education initiatives following the loss of their son Stewie in a drowning accident the year prior. Stewie was just 21 months old. In addition to the foundation, the Leonards have authored a children’s book, “Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim,” to reinforce the importance of water safety, and most recently have opened two non-profit swimming schools, proceeds of which provide free or low-cost swim lessons for children in need. To date, more than $8 million has been raised for the cause.
For his compassion and generosity of spirit, Stew Leonard Jr. is the recipient of the 2026 Market Watch Leaders Community Service Award.
Industry Support
Daughter Ryann Leonard Grossbard is executive director of the foundation and the Stewie the Duck Swim Schools. Along with her three sisters, Grossbard says that she has been involved with the foundation “one way or another for my whole life.” She credits her parents for moving beyond their own pain to ensure that other parents don’t suffer the same fate. “It feels good to be doing something where you know you’re making a difference,” she says.
From its modest beginnings, the foundation has increasingly spread its message over the years so that communities across the U.S. have adopted “Stewie the Duck” as an educational tool for awareness and drowning prevention programs. The foundation’s annual golf tournament—held in the Connecticut/New York/New Jersey area—has been its biggest fundraiser and proceeds have been on the rise. “The first golf tournament was 29 years ago,” says Grossbard, “and we raised $800. This year, thanks to our partners, we raised over $600,000.”
Beverage alcohol suppliers and distributors have roundly supported the tournament, Stew Leonard notes, for which he is thankful. In fact, at this year’s tourney, combined contributions from beverage alcohol companies exceeded that of food companies. The retailer is also grateful that his four daughters—Ryann; Blake, president of Stew Leonard’s Wine & Spirits; Chase, creative and brand strategy director at Stew Leonard’s Farm Fresh Foods; and Madison—all serve on the foundation’s board. “It’s nice that all of our family has been able to focus on this cause,” he says. “It was all created because of their brother, and that makes it very special.”
Three years ago, the first Stewie the Duck swim school opened in Norwalk, Connecticut, home to Stew Leonard’s headquarters. Last year, a second swim school opened in Clifton, New Jersey, site of another Stew Leonard’s market. “The swim schools are non-profit so every dollar that we make is put into the foundation,” explains Grossbard, which then provides the funds for lessons given in partnership with organizations in the tri-state area. “Before the opening of the swim schools, we were preaching water safety to parents,” says Leonard. “With the schools, we’re teaching kids to swim.” Indeed, to date, more than 300,000 swim lessons have been donated thanks to net profits from the swim schools and donations to the foundation.
Stew’s wife, Kim, says, “In the last three years, the two Stewie the Duck swim schools have each taught about 1,000 lessons every week, providing 40,000 swim lessons to children who otherwise would not have had access to swim lessons, and 150 young adults instructors have been certified through the Red Cross for lifeguard training.” She and her husband plan to keep the momentum going. “We hope to open more swim schools,” says Stew Leonard. “We’d like to have a dozen of them.” But Kim adds, “why stop at 12? I’m hoping there are other swim safety foundations who would love to open a Stewie the Duck swim school. What a wonderful way to keep growing. For every child who takes a swim lesson, another child receives a lesson.”
‘Value Matters’
Stew Leonard’s was founded by Stew Leonard Sr. in 1969 as a single store in Norwalk. In 1987, Leonard, Jr., took over as president and CEO and quickly grew the company into a chain of eight groceries in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. In 1999, he founded Stew Leonard’s Wines & Spirits, which today is comprised of eight independently owned and operated stores (the two New Jersey locations are within the grocery stores). Leonard was named a Market Watch Leader in 2010; received the Leaders Best Merchandising award in 2015; and in 2017 was named Retailer of the Year. Total annual sales revenue is estimated at $600 million, including about $100 million from the beverage alcohol stores. According to Stew Leonard’s Wine & Spirits president Blake Leonard, herself a 2021 Market Watch Leader, wine accounts for 58% of the company’s beverage alcohol sales, followed by spirits at 35%, and beer at 7%. With changing consumption habits and inflation these days, she says, “We’re seeing shifting in the cart itself. Some people are putting one less bottle into their shopping cart. But we’re also seeing some putting something else in instead.” In the company’s Connecticut and New Jersey stores, for example, that’s often THC beverages, the retailer notes.
Stew Leonard’s Wines & Spirits offers about 2,500 wine SKUs. According to Blake, a certified sommelier, “value matters more than ever right now.” One of the biggest trends she’s seeing within the wine category today is the emergence of “alternative white wines,” she says. “Consumers are increasingly intrigued by Sancerre, Vermentino, Albariño, and Vinho Verde, even if they’re a little lower in alcohol.”
The stores stock about 1,000 spirits SKUs. Among categories, Tequila and ready-to-drink (RTD) brands are performing best, Blake says. Within Tequila, “what’s really interesting is that half of all sales now come from brands with no additives,” she says. “So many customers are now asking for clean brands,” such as Lalo ($38 a 750-ml. in Norwalk). In addition, Reposado sales “continue to grow,” Blake says. “Reposado is like an introduction to drinking Bourbon.”
RTDs, meanwhile, have become “a huge part of the business,” she says. “They’re all about convenience.” Top sellers include High Noon, Surfside, and Sun Cruiser (each $30 a 12-pack of 12-ounce cans). Blake is impressed by the improved quality of the RTD category in recent years, calling out products like Via Carota craft cocktails ($22 a 375-ml.) Stew Leonard’s stocks up to 800 beer SKUs. While beer sales have been on the decline nationally, Blake says her stores have been seeing more stability lately, particularly with craft brews. However, like wine, beer sales may be negatively impacted by the proliferation of THC drinks, the retailer believes. “For some of our customers who would typically have a glass of wine a night, we’re seeing them opting to have a THC beverage maybe once or twice a week instead,” she explains. (Stew Leonard’s sells the products in its Connecticut and New Jersey stores.) But in some cases, the substitution is a boon for the stores. Blake notes that a 4-pack of THC seltzers can retail for $16. “So for customers making the shift from beer to THC, they’re not necessarily spending less.”
Extremely Resilient
Change is also on the radar for Stew Leonard’s. Stew confirms that a corporate succession plan is in place—Blake will serve as president of the company and her cousin Jake Tavello, currently COO, will become CEO when Stew retires in the next few years. “The transition will take time,” he says. “I’m not going to disappear.”
Stew Leonard also sees store expansion ahead. “It’s grow or die,” he says, noting that the company is actively interested in new locations. He’s not just eyeing growth for financial reasons but for the benefit of store employees. “New stores provide growth opportunities for our team members,” the retailer says. “To attract the best and the brightest, we must provide opportunity for growth.”
Beverage alcohol will play a big role in expansion plans at the chain. Stew and Blake both point to the opportunities the Garden State provides. “We especially love New Jersey because we can sell food and wine together,” Stew says.
Business aside, he’s grateful for the bonds he’s built with industry members over the years, many of whom have supported the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation. “It’s a wonderful industry,” Leonard says. “We’ve made some true friends in wine and spirits.”
