Graduation catering in Bergenfield has one problem nobody warns you about. Every family in town throws their party on the same two weekends in June. Caterers get booked out months ahead, and the ones still free on the second Saturday in June are usually free for a reason.
Culto Italiano started as a catering business, not a restaurant. We bought our first mobile pizza oven in 2020, during the pandemic, because people were still throwing parties and still wanted good pizza. We added more truck units from there, and opened the Bergenfield restaurant at 49 W Church St at the end of 2022. Chef Corrado Cervelli grew up making pizza in his family's shop in Naples. He cooks the same food in your backyard that he cooks in ours.
This page covers what we bring, what it costs, what we need from your driveway, and how far ahead you should call.
We've Worked With the Best People
What
Graduation
Catering Means Here
We are not a banquet hall and we do not run a warehouse kitchen. Everything is cooked either in our Bergenfield kitchen or on site in front of your guests.
LIVE FIRE, COOKED AT YOUR HOUSE
Our wood-fired units bake a pizza in about 90 seconds. Guests watch the fire, smell the dough, and eat within a minute of the pie coming out. For a graduation party this doubles as the entertainment, which matters when you have thirty teenagers standing around a backyard.
TRAYS DROPPED OR SERVED
If fire is not practical, we send trays. Lasagna Bolognese, pasta al forno, ziti al forno, chicken cutlets, eggplant parmigiana, arancini, and salads all hold heat and travel well. You can have us drop and go, or set up and serve.
THE MOZZARELLA BAR
A mozzarella chef stretches curd by hand in front of your guests, then serves it with Caprese salad. It starts at $15 per guest with a $750 minimum. Families often add it to the pizza truck rather than run it alone.
What Usually Goes Wrong in a June Party
We have run enough of these to see the same four problems repeat.
BOOKING TOO LATE
Two to three weeks is our stated minimum. For a June graduation weekend that is not enough. Four to six weeks is realistic, and the first Saturday after Bergenfield High School lets out goes first every year.
DRIVEWAY DOESN'T FIT THE TRUCK
This is the most common one. Our full trailer is 24 feet long. Many of the residential blocks off South Washington Avenue are narrow, and a lot of driveways here are single width. The unit also has to be able to pull out when service ends, not just get in.
GUESSING THE HEADCOUNT LOW
Graduation parties grow. Cousins show up, friends bring friends. A 12" Neapolitan pizza is one serving for an adult and about 2/3 of a serving for a hungry eighteen year old. We portion to your headcount rather than a flat pie count so we need real numbers.
NO RAIN PLAN
June in Bergen County is not reliable. Ask us about a backup and we will build one into the plan before you sign.
How We Run Your Party
STEP ONE — CALL
Call (917) 325-5619 or email corrado@cultoitaliano.com. Tell us the date, the headcount, and where you want us to set up. We will tell you on that call whether the date is open.
STEP TWO — WALKTHROUGH
We ask about your space, your parking, and your power. If the trailer will not fit, we say so and switch you to the mobile brick oven, which slots into spaces the trailer cannot reach.
STEP THREE — THE MENU
Every menu can be customized. We build around vegetarian guests and food allergies when you tell us during planning.
STEP FOUR — THE DAY
Our team arrives, sets up, serves for the package length, then packs out. You do not clean up after us.
Why Families in Bergenfield Book Us
We are an Italian kitchen run by Italians, which is rarer than the signage in this county suggests. Chef Corrado was born in Naples and moved to the United States in 2017. His partners Angelo Riccio and Giovanni Massaro build the business with him. Our pasta and mozzarella are made by hand.
San Marzano tomatoes, fiordilatte di Napoli, Gaeta olives, and Parmigiano Reggiano come from Italy. If you want to understand the standard we cook to, the True Neapolitan Pizza Association in Naples publishes the rules that define the style.
We have catered for Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck. We have served at the New York City Wine and Food Festival.
Timing the Service Window
Two hours of live pizza service suits a party where guests arrive together. Three hours suits an open house where people drift in across the afternoon.
Tell us which shape your party is and we will recommend the package rather than upselling you into the bigger one.
Feeding the Adults Too
Graduation parties are not only teenagers. Parents and grandparents usually want something other than pizza.
Adding two or three trays from our catering menu covers that without doubling your budget. Lasagna Bolognese, a tray of grilled vegetables, and a charcuterie board built for ten people is a common pairing with the truck.
Where We Travel
Graduation parties are not only teenagers. Parents and grandparents usually want something other than pizza.
Adding two or three trays from our catering menu covers that without doubling your budget. Lasagna Bolognese, a tray of grilled vegetables, and a charcuterie board built for ten people is a common pairing with the truck.
What It Costs
MOBILE BRICK OVEN
From $25 per guest, $1,500 minimum. Two hours, buffet style, all you can eat pizza, four pizza types. Includes a pizzaiolo, a chef, a driver, tables for setup, dough and toppings, plus utensils, napkins, and plates.
FULL PIZZA TRUCK
From $50 per guest, $3,000 minimum. Three hours in a 24 foot trailer. Four pizza types plus calamari, shrimp fritti, fries, salad, and Nutella bites. Same staffing and setup.
MOZZARELLA BAR
From $15 per guest, $750 minimum. Three hours, buffet style, fresh mozzarella made from scratch with Caprese salad.
Booking a June Date Without Stress
LOCK THE DATE BEFORE THE MENU
People often delay because they have not decided on food. That is backwards. Hold the date first with a deposit, then finalize the menu in the weeks after. Graduation catering dates are the scarce thing, not the trays.
GIVE US THE AWKWARD DETAILS EARLY
Steep driveway, no outdoor outlet, a neighbour who parks across the curb cut, a venue that wants insurance paperwork. None of these are problems in advance. All of them are problems on the day.
CONFIRM THE HEADCOUNT TWO WEEKS OUT
That is when we order. Small changes after that are fine. A jump from forty to seventy is not, so give us the real number when you have it.
Hold Your Date
June fills first and it fills early. Call our catering line at (917) 325-5619 or email corrado@cultoitaliano.com with your date and headcount.
We will tell you what is open, quote the right package for your space, and hold the day with a deposit. If you would rather see the full menu first, our catering page lists every tray and package we run.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance should I book graduation catering? Two to three weeks is our minimum for most dates. June is different. Call four to six weeks out, because the weekends right after graduation fill first.
Do you travel to Teaneck, Tenafly, or Paramus? Yes. We cater across Bergen County, including Teaneck, Tenafly, Ridgewood, Paramus, Fort Lee, and Hackensack. Travel fees depend on distance and we quote them upfront.
What if my driveway is too small for the truck? Then we bring the mobile brick oven instead. It fits spaces the 24 foot trailer cannot. Describe your space on the call and we will pick the right unit.
Can you handle vegetarian guests or food allergies? Yes. Tell us while we are planning the menu and we will build around it. This is much easier with notice than on the day.
Do you set up and clean up? Yes. Our team sets up before service and packs everything out afterward. Tables for food setup, utensils, napkins, and plates are included.
What is the smallest graduation party you will cater? The mozzarella bar at $750 is our lowest minimum. The mobile brick oven starts at $1,500 and the full truck at $3,000.
What happens if it rains? Tell us when you book and we will plan a backup. Outdoor units need cover, and it is far easier to arrange that in advance than the morning of.
Love this place! Authentic Italian pizza - high quality ingredients, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. The service is excellent and fast. Highly recommend - you are in for a treat!
Tatyana Cherkasskaya
This take out Italian kitchen is serving up some of the best most authentic food in the area. High quality ingredients simply prepared and perfectly executed...
Stacey Glick
Having lived in Milan and entire summer stay in the south, I can attest that the best and real authentic Italian taste can be found at Culto Italiano. Best pizza in Bergenfield NJ...
Benilda Regis
