Jan 1, 2003 12:00 PM

FreshDirect, the fresh-food manufacturing and delivery service launched in July 2002, surpassed the 1,000 orders-a-day milestone Dec 6, 2002, and now attracts some 2,000 new customers every week.

A total of 20,000 New Yorkers so far are purchasing food online, and FreshDirect will expand its delivery area citywide over the next several months.

FreshDirect operates from a 300,000-square-foot custom-built facility in Long Island City NY. It consists of 12 temperature-controlled zones designed to optimize freshness of meat, poultry, fish, produce, cheese, custom-roasted and blended coffee, baked goods, and general grocery items. FreshDirect specializes in precise customization of orders, plus the value of below-food store and supermarket prices and the convenience of home or office delivery.

Orders are placed at www.freshdirect.com or by phoning toll free 866-2UFRESH.