Oh Bergen Mamas, have we got news for you! The new Stew Leonard’s grocery store is opening on Wednesday, September 18th in the old Sears space at Paramus Park Mall and you’re going to want to check it out! A few intrepid Bergen Mamas were there for the grand opening, featuring Martha Stewart the woman and her new namesake, Martha Stewart the cow and brought back tales from the “Disneyland of Dairy Stores”.
Never been to a Stew Leonard’s? Well, let us tell you what you’ve been missing. First, there’s the bakery. Bethy’s Bakery is front and center in the store and is filled with bagels, cupcakes, custom birthday cakes and other sweet treats. They also bake bread on site daily and, there are doughnuts. Apple cider the day we visited. The smell was amazing so either bring your willpower or your stretchy pants when you go.
Follow the signature one way aisle and you’ll encounter the produce, meat, fish and deli departments proudly stocking locally grown produce that has, when possible, been sourced from farms right here in New Jersey. You’ll also find a variety of prepared foods from fresh, yummy looking salads (we loved that the Caesar salad had a separate compartment for croutons) to gourmet burgers and steakhouse sides. It’s a little thing but we also loved that Stew’s sells a spice mix for stew meat. Stew likes stew. Who knew? Stop by Mrs. Leonard’s Kitchen before you leave and pick up prepared foods for every single picky palate in your house.
And then there’s the dairy. Stew Leonard’s has been cited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the “World’s Largest Dairy Store” with milk sourced from local farms that adhere to humane farming practices. They also make fresh mozzarella and burrata daily which is really the only reason we need to visit the store.
You’ll also find tons of animatronics along your path. You’ll be entertained by singing avocados, milk cartons, bears and tons of flying cows. They all put on a show so if you’ve got a kid who isn’t a fan of characters, you might want to give them a heads up before you go in. Stew’s has also helpfully designated selfie spots so you can get the best angle possible for your social media posts.
What else? Well, there’s wine. And there’s ice cream. The Stew Leonard’s wine and spirits that you used to hit on your Trader Joe’s run is relocating to the new store. Browse to your heart’s content because the world famous Stew Leonard’s ice cream shop and most effective bribe ever for children is right around the corner. The kids we spoke with especially liked the vanilla soft serve with sprinkles but we heard the chocolate was pretty out of this world too. Pssst! Spend $100 and the ice cream is free!
Plus, if you happen to need to entertain the littles and also pick up a few things for dinner, check out the events Stew Leonard’s has planned for next month. Our favorite is definitely the Halloween Haybale Theater event. But we’re down with the professional pumpkin carver too! Find the right drop off event and you can even sneak into the mall to do a little early holiday shopping while your kids are being entertained.
Stew Leonard’s Paramus is in the Paramus Park Mall, 700 Paramus Park, Paramus, NJ, 07652. The food store will be open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. and from 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Sunday. Stew Leonard’s Wines & Spirits of Paramus will be open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. and from Noon – 9 p.m. on Sunday. The store can be reached directly at (201) 649-0888.
