Dancing bananas, friendly Twinkies, and dogs on banjos - just a typical eight am to ten pm shopping day at the “Disneyland of supermarkets,” also known as Stew Leonard’s. What started out as a home dairy delivery service soon grew to include a fleet of milk trucks bearing the slogan “You moo and we’ll honk,” progressed to a small outdoor market, and, a few years later, finally became the super market well known in New England today. Their philosophy, carved in stone (literally, they have it carved in a large stone at the front of the store), reads “Rule #1: The customer is always right. Rule #2: When the customer is wrong, reread Rule #1.”

Their quality products and customer service are what made them popular. In the words of the “Farm Fresh Five,” a group of audioanimatronic milk and juice cartons, who proclaim their motto in song every two minutes, “We’ve never met a customer who likes to wait in line." So, on the rare occasion that the numerous checkout lines are filled, employees will come around with a box of donuts for you to enjoy for free as an apology for the wait and a thank you for your patience.

Giant shrimp, Stew Leonard's

As you walk in, you’re welcomed by a blast of cool air, the din of shopping carts rattling noisily on brick flooring, and a smiling audioanimatronic canine duo happily strumming away. Wooden walkways for staff and thick yellow pipes crisscross far above shoppers’ heads. There are no aisles. Instead a path winds through the stalls and whirring refrigerators like a huge, yummy maze. Every few feet, it seems, there are delicious samples waiting for you to try. From the rich smell of spicy and savory chicken chili wafting across the entranceway to the crumble of a rich chocolate cookie beneath my fingers, a shopping trip is turned into a sensory experience.  There is no lack of variety in the numerous samples, including juicy, bread crumb coated, pork chops, crunchy, refreshing, salad with pine nuts, and soft, moist, zucchini muffin tops. You could practically have a meal there! And that’s without even paying a visit to the pizzeria, ice cream shop, bagel stall, soup bar, salad bar, Chinese food stall, Sushi stall, or barbeque located here.

As you make your way down the path, beneath the large cheese dangling from the ceiling, passing employees mixing curds and boiling water for their fresh mozzarella, you’re greeted by a cheery (audioanimatronic) banana with  fruit piled on her hat, dancing and singing the Chiquita Banana song, “A Chiquita a day, makes a great meal with so many good things under the peel, there are vitamins and minerals in every bite, and best of all, it has a tasty [unsure of word]. Chiquitas are delicious, and their very nutritious, a Chiquita a day is great for your health, so load on up on your Chiquitas, almost a meal in itself! (bump bump bum)” (variation of the original Chiquita song – music and words by Garth Montgomery, Leonard Mackenzie, and William Werges - and the more modern version-music by Chiquita  Brands L.L.C and words by Shawnee Inc.). 

Located near the butcher, a floppy puppet literally flips over customers and later, an enormous but friendly Hostess Twinkie pops out of his metal box when his big red button is pressed.  Named Twinkie the Kid for his cowboy outfit, the enormous audioanimatronic treat cheerfully greets guests.  Soon after, the light, fishy, smell (just salty enough to remind you of the sea) combines with the sound of the blaring horn of a small lighthouse perched on a shelf near the ceiling.

In this fish section, glassy-eyed fish and shrimps ranging from tiny and white to colossal and black line the iced shelf of the rough wooden stall. Right nearby nest three chickens (audioanimatronic) known as Jenny Lynn, Ryann, and Brittney, laying large, smooth, white eggs. Located just beyond that is my personal favorite, Clover the cow, the cow head with the velvety, ginger colored fur mounted on the wall by the dairy section, who calmly moos every time the long, knotted rope dangling from the ceiling is pulled.

Clover the cow at Stew Leonard's 

Soon enough, you’ve gone though the ready to eat dinner to go section after being welcomed by a horse head with a cowboy hat and a southern accent. Now the candy and toy section beckons with bright colors and faint but sweet smells. After that it’s time to load up your items and check out. But the fun doesn’t stop at the checkout counter! Right outside is the summertime hoedown, a delicious barbeque under a large outdoor canopy. And just a couple of yards away, a mini zoo with farm animals such as goats, cows, and chickens, a favorite of the little kids, sits. Not just a supermarket…you could practically spend an entire day at Stew Leonard’s.

Kathryn Blanco is a member of the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program

All photos courtesy and copyright Kathryn Blanco