Stew Leonard Jr. Speaks Out On Future Plans; Milford Possible Home Of Next Store: Report

MILFORD, CT — Stew Leonard Jr. is considering several area towns for a fourth Connecticut location, with Milford among those top of mind. He said he hopes to announce in the next six months where the popular grocer will be opening its next store, Hearst Connecticut Media reported.

Stew Leonard's long-held interest in opening a store in Orange, most recently at a space in Colonial Commons. But in November negotiations stalled due to rent costs.

Then grocer Big Y announced it will open a new store at Colonial Commons. The 53,000-square-foot store at the 200 Indian River Road site is expected to open in spring 2027.

Related: Big Y To Open New Store In Space Considered By Stew Leonard's In Orange

Milford is also a possible site of a future fourth Connecticut location of Stew Leonard's, and city officials have openly campaigned to bring Stew's to the city.

Orange First Selectman Jim Zeoli also told Hearst, "My sense is that (Leonard) is looking at Milford."

A potential Milford location currently available is the former Stop & Shop in the Silver Sands Plaza at 855 Bridgeport Ave. The site includes 74,536 square feet of space, according to a Crexi.com listing.

Related: Stop & Shop Location In Milford To Close

However, Stew Leonard's spokesperson Meghan Bell said: "The Leonard family is always on the lookout for their next farm fresh food location, but there’s no timeline. We have so many shoppers from Milford and Orange who shop at our other CT stores so I know both of those towns are high on the list, however I can’t confirm a site at this time."

Other potential area sites for a new store include New Haven and West Haven, according to Hearst.

Previously, the family-owned grocery chain's 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.

"The World's Largest Dairy Store" last opened a Connecticut store in Newington in 2007. It also has locations in Norwalk and Danbury, along with two more stores in New Jersey and three in New York.

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