Ray & Mike's Deli to open second location in Milford by April 2027

Ray & Mike’s Deli, a Hamden institution for 29 years, is preparing to open its second location in Milford. The new storefront will occupy 112 New Haven Ave. and is currently in the permitting phase with the city.

Operations manager Steve Gargiulo stated that the deli originally aimed to open the Milford branch in mid-winter. However, administrative processes have pushed the target opening date to April 2027. Gargiulo noted that the business is also evaluating two future sites: one in Fairfield and another in Storrs near the University of Connecticut.

The Hamden location at 3030 Whitney Ave. has operated for nearly three decades. While the shop historically served a large volume of customers from nearby Quinnipiac University, Gargiulo said the customer base now includes more patrons from outside the immediate neighborhood. The establishment’s primary product, the steak and cheese sandwich, has won local reader polls for that category, according to Gargiulo. “Like anytime that anybody’s put it up to a vote, we’ve never lost,” he said.

The sandwiches feature Angus top round beef that is hand-trimmed in the house. Diners choose between traditional American cheese or Cooper Sharp, an extra sharp American cheese brand common in New York and Pennsylvania. “A lot of the bigger places down in Philly use Cooper Sharp,” Gargiulo said. The meat is served on a poppyseed Kaiser roll, a wedge, or an Apicella’s “big loaf” from New Haven for larger orders. The deli uses trimmings from the whole top round to create ground beef for chili and burgers.

The menu includes other options such as the MacDaddy, which features pulled pork, mac and cheese, bacon, and cheddar. The website describes this item as requiring “a mandatory nap.” The Irresistible combines a steak and cheese sandwich with a Buffalo chicken cutlet. The Bobcat Wrap is named after Boomer, the Quinnipiac mascot.

The next step for the Milford expansion is the completion of the city’s permitting process. Gargiulo confirmed the team is moving through these requirements to secure the space for the spring opening.