Frequently Asked Questions

What’s so unique about New Haven Direct Connect?

You may be able to buy certain items online and have them shipped to you, but New Haven Direct Connect is the ONLY service that allows you to build your own grocery basket from all of our beloved New Haven area food brands, including:

• Liuzzi Cheese
• Apicella’s Bakery
• Hummel Bros. Meats
• Lamberti’s Sausage
• Naploi Foods
• Lucibello’s Bakery
• Durante’s Fresh Pasta
• Blackie’s Hot Pepper Relish
• Foxon Park Beverages
• Claire’s Corner Copia
• Ferraro’s Meats
• Grand Apizza

And, we’re adding more partners all the time! Combining these items together makes shipping more efficient for you as well versus paying to express ship a single item.

Where do you ship?

We’re proud to say we’ve been shipping product for over 8 months to all of the lower 48 states. If you live in Alaska or Hawaii, send us a note and we can calculate shipping for you.

Why do you have a $75 minimum order (before shipping & handling)?

As we stated in the question above, there is a shipping and packaging efficiency that is hit once certain number of items are in an order. This $75 order level represents our best calculation as to where that efficiency currently is. If you want to try us out and have a hard time meeting this minimum, split your order with a friend, neighbor or relative!

Do you send me a tracking number for my order?

Yes. Once your order has shipped, you will receive an email confirming shipment and listing the package tracking number. Please be sure to CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER if you don’t see your email. 

When does my order need to be in?

We are still perfecting our operational model, but we are continuously working. A typical, non-holiday week should work like this:

• If we receive your order by Saturday night at 11:59 PM EDT it will be batched into our shopping list on Sunday for Monday pickup from our partners.
• These orders will ship out on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, for delivery to you on Thursdays and Fridays
• Orders received after Saturday at 11:59 PM EDT will be a part of the following week’s Sunday batch and Monday shopping and will ship out the following Tuesday and Wednesday.
• Your longest wait time would be if your order came in at, for example, 1:00 AM EDT on Sunday, June 4. That order would be batched and be part of our Monday, June 12 shopping and Tuesday/Wednesday June 13/14 shipments. You would receive this order on June 15 or 16. This is the longest, worst-case scenario. In most cases, your wait time is far shorter.

What do I do if I have a problem with my order?

Contact New Haven Direct Connect for any problems at support@newhavendirectconnect.com or 1-877-219-5150. Please do not contact any of our manufacturer partners, we will handle any issues with your order.

I still live in the Northeast, but I have relatives who can’t get these items – can I send them as a gift?

Absolutely! Just list your address as the billing address and the person you are sending the gift to as the delivery address. You can send a single delivery or a VIP subscription as a gift! We’ll even enclose a card with your personal message.

How do you package and ship my order?

We use 200lb corrugated cardboard boxes for added strength. The box contains an insulated liner inside it to contain the frozen or chilled items in your order. Inside the envelope toward the bottom will be one or more frozen gel packs to keep the chilled items cool.  Toward the top of the insulated envelope you will find your dry items and items that do not require chilled shipment, such as jarred items. These will typically be bubble wrapped for protection.

If you order soda, that ships in its own specially designed carton (soda is heavy at 32 lbs) and ships UPS Ground at a flat rate of $23.99/case.

What discounts do you offer?

Just join our New Haven Direct Connect VIP Club! Most of our products feature a Subscribe & Save option when adding to cart. A monthly subscription entitles you to 5% off each subscribed product as long as you spend at least $75 on those items! We’ll ship them automatically to you each month and charge your card on file. 

Is there a referral discount?

Yes! Refer your friends and family to New Haven Direct Connect, and you can each save 5%. Just go to our home page toward the bottom and click the link to our referral form. Enter your name and contact information (email and phone) and the contact information (email and phone) of the person you are referring.  We will send them a 5% discount code for their first order. Once they order, we’ll also send you a 5% discount code off your next order with us! Discounts cannot be combined and expire in 90 days.

What if I have a subscription plan, but need to change my source of payment?

Just contact New Haven Direct Connect at support@newhavendirectconnect.com or 1-877-219-5150 and we will change your type of payment. Please allow at least 5 days for this modification.

I’m not comfortable ordering on the computer, can I call?

You sure can! Just call us at 1-877-219-5150 and one of our Customer Concierges will gladly and securely take your order for you.

What if I don’t see one of my favorite items?

We want to hear from you! There is an area on our website under the “Contact Us” section, where we’d like to hear your suggestions. While we can’t carry everything, we do plan on expanding to carry frequently requested items.

What if an item I order is out of stock?

While we work with our suppliers to ensure they have adequate stock and we also communicate our order expectations well before we go to pick up items from them, there may be an occasional situation where we have an out of stock item you purchased. There are two ways to handle this:

1. We can issue a refund for the item.
2. You authorize us to make a “next closest item” substitution on your order form. In this case if for example “Stuffed Broccoli Bread” is out of stock, we will substitute a “Stuffed Spinach Bread”. You need to opt-in to this substitution when you order.

What if I have a big order- can I spend more than $75?

Sure! You can order as much of the food you love as you like. If the order is large, we may ship it in multiple boxes, but you will know that when we send you your shipment confirmation.

Why don’t you carry Apizza?

We currently do not ship many frozen items, only some meats and fresh pastas, and we deliver them chilled. We did this purposefully as we started in order to keep our operations simple. As we grow, more complex frozen items may be added to our product line, at which time we will likely include frozen Apizza. In the meantime, we have come our with our Make Your Own New Haven Apizza Kit, which includes dough, tomatoes and cheese.

Who are you owned by?

We’re privately held. A small company started by a New Haven native, Steve Thomas, in the greater New Haven area. Steve has been a marketing executive for some very big food companies including Subway Restaurants and Edible Arrangements. But, he is a quality food lover above all else, and is a hands-on owner who oversees all of the operations for New Haven Direct Connect.

Do you ever have busy periods?

We are a new business, but predictably the holiday periods will be busier as people tend to celebrate with foods they love. These include the Easter, Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays and our order cut off may be earlier than is typical, so we do not overbook capacity. If this happens, we will post it on our website and email our customers so you are aware of these extended order lead times ahead of time.

A lot of your products are Italian in nature. You last name is Thomas? That’s not Italian!

Steve Thomas’ original name was Tommassi. Two generations ago, Steve’s grandfather and his brothers were students in a catholic school in the New Haven area. Some of the nuns were German, and just could not pronounce “Tommassi”, and so they shortened it to “Thomas”. This was especially prominent with my Grandfather, Ralph. After several years of going by “Thomas”, Ralph and one of his brothers officially changed the name.  Other brothers kept the Tommassi last name and today, Steve has second cousins that are Tommassis. That said, the Italian-American traditions most families of that nationality enjoy, were also enjoyed by all of the Thomases. 

Why are so many of your products Italian?

Because that is the food we are closest to and because those are a lot of the foods that we heard people who moved away from the Northeast missed the most. We do carry some non-Italian items, like most meats from Hummel’s, and some of our cheeses from Liuzzi, and plan on expanding in the future.

What types of payment do you take?

We accept all major credit cards and PayPal.

What is in Shipping & Handling

We are very transparent that shipping is one of our biggest costs. We typically use UPS Second Day Air to ensure freshness. The nature of express shipping, usually by cargo jet, is that it is expensive. Today’s fuel costs contribute to these high costs. Our shipping rates are not marked up, we calculate the gross weight of your package including the packaging and then pass along the costs. Handling includes the cost of the refrigerated packaging elements we use to keep products fresh.

Do I have to pay CT Sales Tax?

Only if your order is going to CT. Because our business is based in CT, we must collect sales tax and pay it to the State of CT for orders delivered here. Every order total being delivered to CT includes CT Sales Tax (currently 6.35% on the total amount of the order).

What if I want to add to or change my VIP Subscription items?

Just log into your account and add the items you wish. As long as the total remains at $75 or above, you will still qualify for the discount. If we don’t get your changes in time to catch the next order, the following order will reflect your changes.

What should I do with my products when I get my box?

Open your box and immediately refrigerate (or freeze) the items in the insulated envelope. Fresh pasta is intended to be eaten within 5 days of delivery. You do not need to refrigerate Italian cookies or pastries, but many people prefer them cold. Your canned, jarred and dry goods can go in your pantry or on your shelves where you typically store such items. Most meats and cheeses can be frozen and thawed as needed. 

It is normal and expected for the frozen gel packs to be thawed by the time your box delivers. There may be some moisture from condensation on the gel packs too. Your products should be cold to the touch when delivered. 

Can I freeze any of your products?

Yes, most of our products can be frozen.