The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/27737
STEWART’S SHOP #232 47 Main St., Oneonta 431-9359 CUSTOMER BASE: Residents of the Sixth Ward, patrons of Neahwa Park, local motorists and travelers accessing Interstate 88. SIGNATURE ITEMS: Gasoline, ice cream, coffee. REASON TO SHOP HERE: Stewart’s produces many of the items it sells, includ- ing the milk, ice cream, food-to-go items and many beverages. With deliveries being trucked in three times a week, regular items are virtually never out of stock. The speedy, courteous service at Stewart’s is also no accident. Employees are one third shareholders in the business and receive bonuses based on store growth. On the corner of Main and River streets, Stewart’s is a hub of activity. Offer- Frank Companie lifts a keg of beer in the cooler of Center Street Deli, which he owns with his wife, Robin. ing staple goods at a competitive price in an efficient manner is what sets this store apart. The Oneonta Stewart’s, a regional chain operated out of Saratoga, is one of 329 shops located throughout New York and Vermont. Being a gas station, many Stewart’s patrons stop by to fill up their tanks. But it is the selection of goods offered inside the shop that has them coming back. “We have the best coffee there is to get,” said shift supervisor Mike Kottwitz, who said he brews a fresh pot every 30 minutes daily. Regulars like to get their cup along with a pastry or breakfast sandwich. Larger orders are often placed by shift supervisors who stop in for a box of coffee, which comes with complimen- tary cups and a carton of half and half to share with coworkers. “One thing that hasn’t quite caught on yet in Oneonta is our milk,” said mar- keting and food safety district supervisor Sue Race, a 23-year employee who oversees 15 different Stewart’s shops. “Other shops sell 10 times the volume of milk _ and we get a lot of awards for it.” What makes Stewart’s milk (and other dairy products) special is the speed and proximity with which it is produced, according to Race. Saratoga-area farms supply the milk, which is processed by Stewart’s and distributed immediately. Milk goes from the cow to the market shelf in 48 hours, making it the “freshest milk available,” according to Race. ON A PERSONAL NOTE: Thanks go out to Stewart’s for the free pressurized air. It may seem like a small thing, but it is a real life saver when you need it. That air helped me out when my car tire pressure was low and also when my kid’s bicycle tire went flat while pedaling around the neighboring park. It was also a handy excuse for picking up some ice cream while we were there. 18 O-Town Scene March 24, 2011