Humble Beginnings
In 1981, our first kitchen opened in the Davis Square neighborhood of Somerville, MA, with handcrafted menu items inspired by family recipes and a brick oven at its center. Using only the freshest ingredients, we built unique pizzas and pastas and, ultimately, a tradition, while perfecting the art of brick of oven cooking in front of the guests we served it to.
Today, Bertucci’s restaurants are firing up brick ovens from New England to Virginia, each reflecting the passion for authentic Italian cooking, as well as the unique character and charm of every local community. Like the original, our kitchen is still open, our dishes are still made to order and our hospitality is still top priority, leaving you with a family dining experience that you can’t find – or taste – anywhere else.
Bertucci's Through The Years
1981: Inspired by a visit to his grandmother’s home in Italy, young entrepreneur and ice cream shop owner Joey Crugnale opened the first Bertucci’s Brick Oven Pizzeria in Davis Square, Somerville, MA. Complete with a custom made brick oven at its center and a bocce court in its basement, the original Bertucci’s become a popular local spot, recreating the family experience Joey fell in love with in his grandmother’s kitchen. The restaurant used only the freshest ingredients to make its signature pizzas, many of which are still on the menu today.
1985: The second Bertucci’s opened in Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA and number three opened in Holliston, MA shortly thereafter.
1989: Growth continued with the opening of our 14th restaurant. USA Today listed Bertucci’s as one of America’s top 10 pizza restaurants.
1990s: Bertucci’s brick oven pizza story was told outside of Massachusetts, with Bertucci’s locations opening from Florida to New Hampshire and as far west as Illinois.
2011: Bertucci’s celebrated its 30th birthday by bringing back some classic dishes from our earlier menus.
2021: November marks a major milestone. Bertucci’s celebrates its 40th Anniversary! There are currently 53 Bertucci’s restaurants up and down the east coast from Manchester, NH to Springfield, VA. Every one of them adheres to the simple concept that Joey started 40 years ago: Great food from the freshest ingredients, good friends and family, and the brick oven at the heart of it all.
Better Flavor Starts With Fire
What’s so special about brick oven cooking? In one word, everything. With cooking temperatures reaching 675 degrees and a radiant flame from the oven floor touching 1150 degrees, the intense heat of our ovens doesn’t just lock in freshness. It enhances the natural Italian flavors of our pizzas, pastas, vegetables and seafood so that every dish offers a bold and truly unique flavor.
At Bertucci’s, our brick oven chefs are up bright and early to light fires and prepare our fresh vegetables for small batch roasting. True artists with a dedication to the craft, they continue to bring decades of experience to every dish, some part of family generations and still working together side-by-side.
So the next time you are here, we invite you to take a moment and see who’s cooking our famed fiery dishes. From signature pizzas to housemade lasagnas, there’s a reason our blazing brick oven fires are at the center of every Bertucci’s. You’ll taste it. And there’s a good chance you’ll be back for it.