Stew Leonard's Eyes Orange For Possible Fourth CT Store Location

On Monday, Stew Leonard's Spokesperson Meghan Bell confirmed the former Christmas Tree Shop space at 220 Indian River Road is currently under consideration as a possible spot for a new store location, however she also emphasized nothing has been finalized.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

"The Leonard family is always on the lookout for a great retail space in a great community," Bell said in an email to Patch.

Though nothing has been set in motion, the concept of a Stew Leonard's store in Orange remains intriguing as it is not the first time the town and the family-owned grocery chain have been mentioned in the same conversation.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

The store's last public attempt to open a Connecticut store revolved around a planned location at 161 Marsh Hill Road in Orange.

The Stew Leonard's team tried to get the Orange store approved for nearly 15 years, but the effort was ultimately thwarted by a group of concerned residents who filed various legal motions that kept the store's future tied up in the courts.

At one point, it seemed Stew Leonard's might claim victory after winning town approval and a court decision, however a last-minute appeal granted to residents opposing the project derailed the plans once again.

After legal fees began to mount, the Leonard family turned their attention to expanding outside of Connecticut, building stores in New York and later New Jersey. Since then, no plans for a fourth Connecticut store have been announced.

Requests for comment from Orange First Selectman James Zeoli and the Orange Chamber of Commerce were not immediately returned Monday.

Speaking with CT Insider on Friday, CEO Stew Leonard Jr. said the family is in talks with the owner of the former Christmas Tree Shop and noted the large space was "really attractive" to them, as they would need about 60,000 to 80,000 square feet of space.

Leonard also said he is considering new locations in the New Rochelle-Larchmont area of New York, as well as another store in New Jersey, according to CT Insider.

In addition to the Newington store, Stew's operates Connecticut locations in Danbury, which opened in 1991, and its flagship Norwalk store, which dates back to 1969.

Stew Leonard's also operates a number of stores in New York, with locations in East Meadow, Farmingdale and Yonkers, as well as Paramus, N.J. A new store is planned to open this year in Clifton, N.J.

Back in October, Bell told Patch Stew Leonard's receives quite a bit of interest from property developers and shopping centers in Connecticut about the possibility of opening another one of their "farm fresh food" stores.

At that time, Bell said the family was not actively looking for a new site to build a fourth Connecticut store but remained open to the idea.

"If the right opportunity presented itself, bearing in mind things like a great location, population around the site and even parking," Bell said, "I'm sure they'd consider it."

See also:

• When Will Stew Leonard's Open A Fourth CT Store?
• Stew Leonard's Norwalk Store Renovations Almost Done, Grand Reopening Planned For June

The idea of a new Stew Leonard's location coming to Connecticut has received positive reactions from a number of local, and even state, officials.

Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling said Stew Leonard's has been a staple in Norwalk since opening its flagship store over 50 years ago and has become an integral part of the community there.

"More than just a grocery store...the company's family-friendly, customer-first business model fits in so well with the city of Norwalk because we are a community that looks out for one another and values kindness and compassion," Rilling said in a statement sent to Patch in October. "Stew Leonard's grocery store has also created employment for thousands of Norwalk residents since it opened, allowing families to live and work in the community they love, a vision we strive for in the city of Norwalk. Any community would be fortunate to have a Stew Leonard's in their town."