AT LEAST GIVE YOU THAT OPTION.
BUT YOU’RE NOT INTO SWEETS,
YOU’RE KIND OF ON YOUR OWN.
STEW LEONARD JOINS US RIGHT NOW,
VERY POPULAR GROCERY STORE IN
NEW YORK, CONNECTICUT, NEW
JERSEY, TRISTATE AREA.
STEW, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE
WILL COME TO YOUR STORES AND
SEEK THEM OUT BECAUSE THEY LOVE
THE CHOICE AND THE SAMPLING AND
ALL OF THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, NO MATTER WHERE
YOU ARE ON THE INCOME RANGE
HERE, YOU’RE GETTING WALLOPED.
WHAT ARE THEY DOING THESE DAYS?
>> WELL, NEIL, YOU KNOW WHAT?
I’M SEEING ALL SORTS OF --
AROUND THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW
LIKE MEAT PRICES UP 30%.
THAT HASN’T HAPPENED HERE.
I’M STANDING IN THE STORE RIGHT
NOW, WE’RE JAMMING TODAY.
CUSTOMERS ARE IN A GREAT MOOD,
THEY’RE PULLING ME ALL THE TIME
AND WE’RE TALKING.
THERE SEEMS TO BE, LIKE, PENT-UP
DEMAND.
PEOPLE SEEM HAPPY IN THE STORE
RIGHT NOW.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NOT RAISED OUR
PRICES THAT MUCH, YOU KNOW?
I JUST ASKED OUR MEAT BUYER THIS
MORNING, HOW MUCH HAS OUR MEAT
GONE UP?
HE SAID PROBABLY ABOUT 5% THIS
FOURTH OF JULY VERSUS LAST.
SO THERE ARE SOME BRIGHT SPOTS
OUT THERE, AND I THINK PEOPLE
WANT TO GET OUT AND CELEBRATE
FOR THE FOURTH RIGHT NOW.
NEIL: HOW DO THEY PIVOT THEN?
HOW DO YOU RECOMMEND THEY PITH?
I’M JUST AFRAID THE NATION MIGHT
GO INDIVIDUAL VEGETARIAN, AND
THAT WOULD BE AWFUL.
[LAUGHTER]
IF HOW ARE THEY MOVING AROUND
THE DIFFERENT CUTS OF MEAT, THE
CHOICES WHERE IT’S GOTTEN PRETTY
PRICEY?
>> WELL, NEIL, YOU KNOW, YOU
DEFINITELY COULD SEE THAT IF
YOU’RE PLANNING ON CERTAINING
SOME GOURMET BURGERS IT’S REALLY
EASY TO GO COULD BE TO A
DIFFERENT BURGER AND SOME
CHICKEN EVEN THOUGH CHICKEN’S
COME UP A LITTLE BIT IN PRICE
THIS YEAR.
SO YOU CAN ALTER WHAT YOU’RE
GOING TO SERVE.
YOU REALLY WANT TO GET FRUGAL,
YOU CAN THROW SOME PIZZA IN
THERE TOO.
BUT I THINK WHAT WE’RE FEELING
RIGHT NOW IS JUST LIKE PROBABLY
PEOPLE TRAVELING, THEY REALLY
WANT TO CELEBRATE.
THIS IS THE LAST BIG FOOD EVENT
YOU HAVE BEFORE THANKSGIVING.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE COVID IS LIKE
THE FLU NOW.
PEOPLE ARE OUT AND AND ABOUT,
AND WE’RE FEELING IT RIGHT NOW
AT STEW’S, AND WE FELT IT ON
FATHER’S DAY TOO.
NEIL: SO THE BEST ADVICE WITH A
LOT OF THIS STUFF IS DON’T BUY
AS MUCH STUFF.
YOU DON’T NECESSARILY HAVE TO
CUT BACK ON INDIVIDUAL ITEMS,
BUT DO YOU REALLY NEED SEVEN OR
EIGHT DIFFERENT DISHES, WHAT DO
YOU THINK OF THAT?
>> WELL, THERE’S DEFINITELY
STRATEGIES YOU CAN HAVE IS.
AND ONE OF THEM IS BUY WHAT YOU
NEED AND NOT WHAT YOU WANT.
THAT’S ONE THING.
THE OTHER THING YOU CAN DO IS
SHOP THE SPECIALS.
THERE’S A LOT OF SPECIALS OUT
THERE.
WE HAVE SPECIALS EVERY WEEK.
AND CHECK YOUR STORE’S APP
BECAUSE THERE’S ALWAYS APP DEALS
OUT THERE ALL THE TIME.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT’S
REALLY GOOD, BUY LOCAL RIGHT
NOW.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU’RE RIGHT
HERE IN THE NEW YORK AREA,
THERE’S SOME LOCAL NEW JERSEY
BLUEBERRIES THAT WE HAVE.
THEY JUST CAME ONLINE.
THE TRANSPORTATION COSTS TO GET
THEM TO OUR STORES IS A LOT
LOWER.
WE CAN SELL THEM FOR 50 CENTS TO
$1 A PACKAGE LESS THAN THE ONES
WE GET OUT OF CALIFORNIA.
NEIL: THAT’S NOT TOO SHABBY.
KEEP ME POSTED ON ITALIAN
SAUSAGE.
IF THAT GOES THROUGH THE ROOF,
MAN, THAT COULD BE SCARY --
>> IS THAT YOUR FAVORITE?
NEIL: I’M JUST I THROWING IT OUT
THERE.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING WITH THE
SAUSAGE?
NO, THAT’S JUST -- STEW, HAVE A
WONDERFUL HOLIDAY.
>> A NICE RED SAUCE.
NEIL: THERE YOU GO.
>> THANK YOU, HAVE A GREAT
HOLIDAY.
I’M STAYING ON BASE, MY
DAUGHTER’S GETTING READY TO HAVE
A BABY --
NEIL: OH, CONGRATULATIONS.
IT’LL BE GOOD FOR THE RECORD
BOOKS.
>> IT’S TOUGH, AND IT’S TOUGH
FOR PEOPLE WORKING HERE TOO
BECAUSE THEY’VE GOT TO PAY
DOUBLE IN THEIR GAS TANK TO GET
TO WORK.
NEIL: WE’LL GET THROUGH THIS, I