A Working Family: Stew Leonard's Helps Employees Find Love, Build Lasting Friendships

NORWALK, CT - Stew Leonard's may be known as "the World's Largest Dairy Store" (as featured in Ripley's Believe It Or Not), but it's also earning a reputation as a place where matches are seemingly made in Heaven. One of Rose Potter's favorite memories of working with her husband Curt at Stew Leonard's occurred when the two helped run a charity fundraiser at the store.

"The microphone broke and they needed someone to call out the raffle basket winners," Potter said. "Curt was the life of the event and had everyone in stitches laughing and enjoying themselves."

Potter said this event happened right before the couple started dating in May 2015. (To sign up for free, local breaking news alerts from more than 100 Connecticut communities click here.)

"I’m rather quiet and reserved," Potter said, "so I fell in love with his loud, spontaneous personality and it was a perfect match."

The two were engaged a year later in May 2016 and were married in September of the same year.

Such matches are almost commonplace at any of the the store's soon-to-be six locations, where customers are welcomed and treated like part of founder Stew Leonard's big family.

Though the store employs a large staff to keep the customers rolling in and out, they are also urged to create the friendliest environment possible.

"Working at Stew’s truly is like working with your family," Potter said. "There is such a support team (here). Everyone is always checking in on each other to make sure they are alright, sharing stories of their families at home... I have never worked at a place that has these values and supports the team that works for them like family."

Stew Leonard's employees have grown long-lasting relationships working among the farm fresh milk and numerous animatronic shows throughout the store, and many have made even deeper connections on the job.

Nicole Manca has worked at Stew Leonard's for almost three decades, and she met her future husband working at the store's Danbury location.

"Working here for 29 years, I feel like Stew's is my family," Manca said in an email. "I grew up with many of my co-workers and we have shared in good times and bad. It’s amazing to work in a company where the owners know your children’s names and ask how they are doing."

Romance Blossoms

Marlene Bonacci recalls one of the first times she laid eyes on her husband, Anthony .

I specifically remember one day doing returns and passing by the seafood bar and thinking "'he's really cute'," Bonacci said in an email. "And when he'd bring a party platter to the front desk for a catering order, he would hover just a bit longer by the side door as we would chat on a busy Saturday afternoon."

Bonacci first became friends with Anthony's sister, who was working in customer service when Bonacci was moved up to the front desk.

"Whenever a group of us had plans socially, we always met at the Bonacci house and of course Ant would be there," Bonacci said. "We were around each other a lot and Anthony just had this fun personality that was like a magnet."

The two began dating in the fall of 2003 and married in October 2006.

Nicole Weiss has similar memories of early romance while working with her future husband, Art.

"Art and I had known each other a long time, and one day we just started talking about traveling to Tahiti," Weiss said. "From that day on we just connected and he became my best friend. We talked about everything from work, kids, travel and dreams. Sparks flew from there."

Weiss said it was around this time others began to notice the huge smile on her face each time Art walked past the front end of the store.

The two have worked together for a number of years, and even got to work together at the store's Hoedown Grill. They are both currently working at the store's Danbury location.

After working at Stew Leonard's for almost three decades, Weiss gives credit to the company for creating an environment where lasting relationships can develop.

"Working here for 29 years, I feel like Stew's is my family," Weiss said. "I grew up with many of my co-workers and we have shared in good times and bad. It’s amazing to work in a company where the owners know your children’s names and ask how they are doing."

Donna Derivan, who met her husband working at Stew Leonard's in the 1980s, said working at the store is less of a job and more of a place where great memories are shared and laughter is heard frequently. She said employees argue like family and yet continue to grow closer through the years.

"The environment at Stew's is one of teamwork and often feels like you’re with extended family," Derivan said in an email. "We all know one another and have attended many of life’s moments together: weddings, babies and sadly funerals... if ever you are in need of help in your personal lives, like needing work to be done at your home or just (wanting) a good listener, there is always someone close by willing to come to your assistance."

Derivan started dating her husband, Mike, in July 1980 after working together for about 11 months. The two were engaged in December of that year and married on June 11, 1983.

"We have two daughters and two grandsons now," Derivan said. "Our first-born grandson was the first boy on (my family's) side in 72 years! You can imagine the excitement when that news was shared."

Building Lasting Relationships

According to Stew Leonard's Director of Public Relations Meghan Bell, the company's insistence on providing a family environment where lasting relationships can be made comes down from the Leonards themselves.

“I think one thing that is so terrific about Stew Leonard’s is that we have been family-owned and operated since 1969," Bell said. "And the Leonard family really goes a long way to make sure that all of our team members are treated well and treated like family.”

The store hosts a number of events for employees outside of work, including company summer outings, picnics, fishing trips, bowling and bingo to name a few. The store also hosts appreciation lunches after busy holidays to reward everyone's hard work.

“Whenever you are seeing your co-workers, perhaps in a different light," Bell said. "It certainly fosters friendship, and (sometimes) even romance blooms.”

Bell attributes Stew Leonard's sense of camaraderie partially to the longevity of employees' relationship with the store.

"We have so many team members that have worked here for decades," Bell said. "The Leonard family promotes from within whenever they can... I have colleagues who are only in their late 30s but have worked at Stews for more than 20 years.”

Bell mentioned that one of her co-workers in his 40s does not have an official resume. He has only worked at Stew Leonard's, and has held a number of different positions throughout his career.

"If you have an interest to grow yourself in your career here, the Leonard family makes sure to give you that opportunity," Bell said. “People stay here for so long and invite their family member to apply, so we have both figuratively and literally a family environment here."

Potter finds Stew Leonard's company culture is why so many generations continue to work for the company and help it grow to what it is today.

"It’s always amazing to hear that peoples grandparents, parents, kids, cousins, etc have all worked for the same company," Potter said. "It says a lot for what this company stands for."

One Big Family

Bell recalled an instance that had just recently occurred to her while heading over to the Norwalk store's salad bar, where she noticed something not quite right about a child nearby.

Bell said he was very young, holding a red, white and blue pinwheel and seemed like he could have been standing in the store by himself. She locked eyes with a customer near the child and asked if the little boy was her's, which she denied.

Both the customer and Bell stopped what they were doing and brought the child to security, where they were later met by his frantic mother. In the meantime, the two reflected on similar experiences with their own children.

“We basically conversed for a while about losing a child for those 60 seconds and how scary it can be," Bell said, "and the woman said something like ‘well it’s a good thing this happened at Stew Leonard’s, with so many families and nice team members watching out for everyone'.”

Images courtesy Jane Shapiro.