Customers are noshing on free samples in the grocery aisle again — albeit with more pandemic protections than before.
Two weeks ago, grocery chain Stew Leonard’s began handing out bite-sized samples of its homemade cheesecake stuffed into tiny paper cups — but only after building 28 plexiglass booths to keep employees at a safe distance from customers.
Just last week the New York metro area chain added five more food items to its giveaway –watermelons, pineapples, chicken burgers, salad and Stew Leonard-branded chocolate cream pies — all of which are being handed out through a small opening at the bottom of its handcrafted plexiglass booths by masked and gloved employees.
The quirky chain known for its petting zoos and animatronic displays only reintroduced the practice after polling customers via its Facebook page.
Stew Leonard’s staffer Devon Wilkins takes a break from handing out pink pineapple samples through a small opening at the bottom of his plexiglass sampling booth in Norwalk, Conn. Stew Leonard’s
Ninety-five percent of respondents replied “yes” to bringing sampling back, Stew Leonard, owner of the eponymous grocery chain told The Post. “Our customers love the samples and have been asking for them,” Leonard said.
