Paramus Stew Leonard’s VP Earns Industry Accolades

PARAMUS, NJ - The manager of Stew Leonard’s new store in Paramus was named as one of the grocery industry’s standout figures under the age of 40.

Jake Tavello, the 31-year-old grandson of company founder Stew Leonard, Sr. and vice president of the Paramus location, is one of 25 individuals to receive a 2019 GenNext Award from Progressive Grocer, a trade publication focused on supermarket, grocery and food retail news

“Despite his youth and status as the ‘boss’ kid,’ Tavello has gained the entire company’s trust and respect through such actions as working holidays on the floor alongside his fellow associates,” the trade publication wrote.

Tavello joined the family business in 2003 at age 15, working in each department at all stores. In college, he spent two summers interning with the company’s chief of operations to learn more about the business.

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By 2016, Tavello became the store director at Stew Leonard’s location in Danbury, Conn. and three years later, he was promoted to vice president of the chain’s seventh – and newest – store in Paramus.

“With a focus on increasing customer convenience, Tavello helped spearhead Stew’s Fresh Delivery Powered by Instacart grocery delivery service,” Progressive Grocer wrote. “Understanding the evolution of how customers shop, he has placed a heavy emphasis on ecommerce and using digital platforms to expand Stew Leonard’s market and social media influence for its customers, and is making it easier for them to shop both in-store and virtually

The family-owned grocery chain, known for its farm fresh food and interactive animatronic characters opened its first-ever store in New Jersey in September 2019.

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Its opening drew thousands of shoppers eager to check out what has been dubbed as "the Disneyland of Dairy Stores" by the New York Times. The $400 million store took the place of Paramus Park's anchor spot previously held by Sears.