The owner of Zuppardi’s Frozen Foods has purchased a West Haven warehouse for $2.45 million as the company looks to expand production.
Nineteen Realty LLC, controlled by Orange resident Cheri Pearce, bought the 26,926-square-foot industrial building at 755 1st Ave. on May 8, according to city land records.
Pearce founded Zuppardi’s Frozen Foods in 2018. The company produces about 6,400 frozen pizzas a week for supermarkets including Big Y and Stop & Shop, as well as bars and restaurants. The business employs 12 full-time workers and one part-time employee and has doubled production since it launched, she said.
“I am in the process of trying to grow the business, and the current space is too small,” she said.
The company currently operates from roughly 1,000 square feet within a family-owned building at 214 Main St. in West Haven.
Pearce’s family also owns neighboring restaurant Zuppardi’s Apizza, which has operated in West Haven since 1934 and is known for its New Haven-style pizza. The restaurant also has an Ansonia location and a food truck.
Pearce said she plans to use about 16,000 square feet of the newly acquired building for frozen pizza production and lease the remaining space to tenants.
She chose to purchase rather than lease a property so she could maintain long-term control of the facility while meeting U.S. Department of Agriculture requirements.
Pearce said it will likely take at least a year to secure municipal and USDA approvals, finalize plans and install production equipment.
The seller was Odin Holdings LLC, controlled by Fairfield resident Ethan M. Odin, according to state business records. Odin purchased the property for $650,000 in 2014.
Built in 1957, the warehouse sits on 1.77 acres. City property records list the building’s assessed value at $684,320 and appraised value at $977,600.
