Since 2018, Venti Food Truck has been keeping Italian culinary traditions alive and on the go, serving up delicious Italian specialties at its four-wheel Exchange Place outpost. Now, this beloved food truck is getting a permanent home near the Journal Square neighborhood at 203 Academy Street. The new storefront will expand the Venti food truck menu, with a broader selection of house-made eats + “the freshest mozzarella around.” Read on for what we know about the permanent Venti Italian Specialties brick-and-mortar location coming to Jersey City.
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Putting Down Permanent Roots
On March 27th, Venti Italian Specialities took to Instagram with a little bit of mystery. The post featured an unmarked door with the caption “Soon,” accompanied by a Jersey City hashtag. Jersey City is a master class in the food-truck-to-storefront pipeline (and we love ’em all), so what might be a nondescript doorway to some was confirmation for local foodies that a permanent location was coming — who showed out (in thousands) with congratulations on the IG post.
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Six days ago, Venti shared another update — work at the new Jersey City location, 203 Academy Street, “is progressing well.” Per the post, equipment at the upcoming storefront is starting to arrive, and everything “is beginning to feel real.”
Team HG reached out to Venti for comment, but as of now, no opening date has been confirmed for the Jersey City storefront. The Italian specialty shop did share on IG that the new menu will be an expansion of the long-standing food truck’s menu, which since 2018, has served up varied Italian sandwiches + salads (including a stunning meatball parm special).
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As always, we’ll keep you updated as details unfold. For now, keep scrolling to learn more about Venti Food Truck + its rise to staple status here in Jersey City.
“La Famiglia” Behind The Food Truck
In 2018, brothers Joe and Nick Ciancimino put the pedal to the metal and introduced a new food truck in Jersey City – Venti Italian Specialities. The idea to open a food truck was born out of the brothers’ mutual interest in paying homage to their Italian roots and more importantly, their family. The Ciancimino brothers are first-generation Italian-Americans, whose parents and grandparents immigrated to the United States from Sicily. Beyond teaching them how to cook and prepare delicious Italian specialties when they were younger, Joe and Nick’s parents and grandparents instilled in them a passion for food, and along with that, a love for fine, fresh ingredients.
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In Italian, Venti means 20. Growing up, the Ciancimino brothers lived on 20th Street in Bayonne. The name, just like the inspiration for opening up an Italian specialty food truck, ties back to the family. “Venti” pays tribute to the neighborhood Joe and Nick grew up in, but more specifically the house they grew up in. The house they lived in on 20th Street wasn’t just where they called home, it was the foundation in this country for Nick and Joe’s grandparents when they first came to the United States. The name also signifies the brother’s commitment to making people feel at home when they take a bite out of anything from Venti Italian Specialties Food Truck sandwich. Joe says, “Even though we are a food truck we want our customers to feel at home and give them a sandwich they’ll truly enjoy.”
Committed to Quality
Venti Italian Food Truck is certainly a family affair. Both Joe and Nick work the truck on a daily basis, ensuring they’re providing the highest quality ingredients and experience to their loyal customers. Their commitment to quality runs deep. In 2020, Joe shared with The Hoboken Girl that, “Venti Italian Specialties has always taken pride in our food and who we are, and in what our food represents. We work hard each day to preserve the Italian-American deli tradition and to bring each of our customers a taste of what is familiar, a taste of what they remember when they were growing up. We enjoy interacting with our customers and getting to know them.”
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Every morning, the Venti Italian Specialties team prepares fresh, homemade mozzarella, sauce, and chicken cutlets from scratch. The ingredients are sourced from only the finest distributors and every sandwich ordered from the truck is made to order. The menu ranges from hot to cold sandwiches and salads, all piled high with the ingredients of your liking. Often, there are other delicious Italian delicacies to add on to your order like fresh olives, homemade chips, cannolis, or Venti Tomato Sauce to-go.
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According to the Ciancimino brothers, their “signature and most popular sandwiches are our chicken parm with vodka sauce, our spicy Italian, our classico, and our chicken cutlet made with housemade bruschetta and fresh mozzarella.” With options like these, it’s hard to narrow it down to just one.
Track Down The Truck
Venti Italian Specialties Food Truck can be found Monday through Friday on Columbus Drive in Jersey City serving up lunch normally between 11:30AM-3:00PM The Ciancimino brothers do periodically open for dinner at random locations throughout Jersey City. The schedule does change from time-to-time, but follow @ventifoodtruck on Instagram to know exactly where the truck will be and when.
The brothers also offer catering, thanks to the mobility of a food truck kitchen. You can reach out to Joe and Nick at ventiitalian@gmail.com to learn more about their catering offerings.
