National wholesale food supply chain opens new facility in Milford – News – Hanover Mariner

Restaurant Depot – a national wholesale food supply chain – opened a new store in Milford last week. The store is only open to restaurant, bar, nightclub, pizzeria and coffee shop owners, as well as food service distributors and non-profit organizations.

MILFORD – Area restaurants and non-profit organizations have a new spot to purchase food and supplies.

Restaurant Depot – a national cash and carry wholesale food supply chain – opened a 62,000-square-foot facility last week on an undeveloped parcel off Cedar Street near Exit 20 on Interstate 495. The College Point, New York-based company offers free memberships to restaurant, bar, nightclub, pizzeria and coffee shop owners, food service distributors and non-profit agencies. The business is not open to the public.

The company, which saves customers an average of 15 percent on purchases, is a solution for small, independent restaurant owners that struggle with food and supply costs. There is no minimum purchase required and no delivery fees.

“We’ve seen in areas we’ve opened the resurgence of small, independent restaurants,” said Larry Cohen, chief operating officer for Restaurant Depot.

Restaurant Depot operates 133 facilities in 34 states nationwide. In Massachusetts, there are stores in Andover, Avon, Chicopee, Everett and Needham. The company wanted to bring a location to the Milford area due to a lack of a store in that area and because of its access to major roads.

“We found this area underserved,” said Cohen.

The company offers a large selection of food and beverage items, as well as restaurant equipment and supplies and packaging solutions, said Cohen.

The store, which is open seven days a week, brings 38 new jobs to the region, said Cohen.

“We’re excited to join the community here in Milford,” Branch Manager Wellington Urena said in a press release.

Restaurant Depot is open Monday through Wednesday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information on how restaurant, owners can sign up for a membership visit www.restaurantdepot.com.

Jeff Malachowski can be reached at 508-643-7522 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JmalachowskiMW.