Downtown Food Crawls Back For 2025, Benefiting New Haven Nonprofits

NEW HAVEN, CT —The Shops at Yale announces the return of its popular annual Appetizer & Dessert Crawls, offering foodies a chance to explore downtown New Haven’s diverse dining scene while supporting local causes. This year’s events aim to raise more than $10,000 for three New Haven-based nonprofits.

Due to high demand, The Shops at Yale has increased the number of tickets available for the three scheduled crawls on April 26, June 7, and August 2. Since their inception in 2018, the crawls have sold out every year. Each features a curated selection of appetizers and desserts from popular restaurants and eateries, including Cookie39, Pacifico, Ay Arepa, Strega, Ashley’s, and Yamasaki Teriyaki. Menus will vary slightly for each crawl.

Tickets are $25, plus processing fees, and include appetizer and dessert tastings from 12 restaurants and eateries, free all-day parking at the 150 York Street Garage (Chapel-York Garage), exclusive two-day shopping offers, and a cotton tote bag. Proceeds will be donated to the New Haven Free Public Library, Fellowship Place, and the Robin I. Kroogman New Haven Animal Shelter.

The August 2 crawl will feature a dog adoption event on Broadway Island (56 Broadway) from noon to 3 p.m., hosted in partnership with the Robin I. Kroogman New Haven Animal Shelter, Friends of the New Haven Animal Shelter, and North Shore Animal League. Attendees can enjoy live jazz from New Haven Underground, free face painting, kettle corn and caricatures, and the opportunity to meet many dogs available for adoption! (A ticket to the crawl is not necessary to attend the dog adoption event.)

“Over the years, this event has not only highlighted New Haven’s incredible restaurant scene but has also raised nearly $25,000 for New Haven nonprofits,” said David DelVecchio, director of real estate asset management for Yale University Properties. “This year, we’re expanding capacity to welcome even more guests from across Connecticut and beyond. We’re excited to support this year’s amazing nonprofit partners with $3,500 each, bringing the total proceeds from this annual event to $35,000, while showcasing why downtown New Haven is a top foodie destination.”

Participating Restaurants for April 26 Crawl

Ashley’s Ice Cream, 280 York St.
Small cup of any flavor

B Natural Kitchen (inside More Amour Boutique), 1130 Chapel St.
Mini bowl – roasted sweet potato, beets, carrots, turmeric cabbage, charred broccoli with lemon, roasted cauliflower with parmesan, green beans and mushrooms

Book Trader Café, 1140 Chapel St.
Blondie brownie

Cookie39, 39 Broadway
Full-size chocolate chip cookie

Heirloom at The Study at Yale, 1157 Chapel St.
Heirloom chicken salad toasts

Pacifico, 220 College St.
Ceviche – shrimp, mango, red onion, and fresh citrus juices

Pedals Smoothie & Juice Bar, 284 York St.
Smoothie bowl – house-made nut butters and fresh fruit

Sherkaan Indian Street Food (inside Lou Lou Boutique), 23 Broadway
Pista burfi – fudgy pistachio bars, beet-lemon curd, cardamom, and rose petals (V, GF)

Strega, 1006 Chapel St.
Cacio e pepe mezze maniche – Pecorino Romano and a fondue of 16 different peppercorns

Tropical Smoothie Café, 15 Dixwell Ave.
• Spinach and feta pesto wrap – eggs, spinach, feta, mozzarella, roasted red peppers & pesto
• Hummus veggie wrap – hummus, smashed avocado, pepper jack, romaine, rice, black beans, pickled red onions, tomatoes & lite ranch (V)
• Nutella banana crunch flatbread – peanut butter, Nutella, banana, granola & honey
• Baja chicken wrap – grilled chicken, rice, black beans, smashed avocado, romaine, pickled red onions, cheddar & roasted tomato salsa
(Choice of one. All sandwiches will be half portions.)

Union League Café (inside idiom Boutique), 1014 Chapel St.
Macarons

Yorkside Pizza, 288 York St.
A slice of mozzarella pizza

Menus for additional crawls, and event details, can be found at: https://theshopsatyale.com/appcrawl/.

Free parking will be available at the 150 York Street Garage, aka Chapel-York Garage, for both the crawls and the dog adoption event. Garage tickets will be validated at The Shops at Yale tent on Broadway Island from 12-3 p.m. Crawl maps will be given out to ticket holders at check-in on Broadway Island.


Yale University Properties & The Shops at Yale

The Shops at Yale is made up of the Chapel Street Historic and Broadway Districts in Downtown New Haven and includes a mix of retailers and restaurants, such as Apple, lululemon, Warby Parker, J.Crew, Claire’s Corner Copia, Villa Lulu, More Amour Boutique, Shake Shack, Raggs, and idiom Boutique. Yale University Properties manages Yale University’s commercial properties, including retail stores, office spaces, and residential units in New Haven.