This Whimsical East Coast Grocery Store Is Worth A Visit - Tasting Table

"Grocery shopping can often feel like a bit of a chore between packed parking lots, crowded aisles, screaming toddlers, and endless checkout lines. If you're on the East Coast, and want a break from the ritual mundanity of your weekly shopping trip, then this grocery store is definitely worth a visit. We're talking about Stew Leonard's, a whimsical, Disney-inspired grocery store that's been around since the late 1960s. From upside-down cows to a wishing well and singing animatronics, it's definitely one of the more unique grocery stores you'll find in the U.S."

"'Think of it like a destination, not a grocery store,' one fan wrote on Reddit, while another called it 'one of the most overstimulating places' they had ever been. In a 1983 article, The New York Times even described it as a 'Disneyland Dairy Store' - a great compliment for founder Stew Leonard Sr., a huge admirer of Walt Disney. Walk into any of the retailer's eight stores and you're guaranteed an over-the-top experience, complete with costumed characters walking around, singing plastic cows, petting zoos, and other regularly scheduled entertainment."

"The fact that it's more than just a regular grocery store can be judged by fans putting it on the tourist map for visiting friends and family! 'It's definitely a unique grocery shopping experience,' a long-time customer wrote on Reddit, adding, 'I took my college roommates to Stew Leonard's and we got ice cream and walked through the petting zoo and had so much fun.' Another shopper added that they take guests for both the one-of-a-kind experience and the 'great lunch food'."

Grocery shopping often feels like a chore because of packed parking lots, crowded aisles, screaming toddlers, and long checkout lines. Stew Leonard's offers an alternative on the East Coast with a whimsical, Disney-inspired experience dating to the late 1960s. The stores feature upside-down cows, a wishing well, singing animatronics, costumed characters, petting zoos, and theatrical layouts across eight locations. Fans call the stores a destination and compare them to Disneyland, and The New York Times labeled one a 'Disneyland Dairy Store.' Customers bring guests for the novelty and hot lunch food, though some shoppers find the store layout frustrating.

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