Catering Company
Eastern Iowa -Western Illinois Area
Service area
Jude Villafana
OWNER/OPERATOR
Typically responds within 24h
Peppercorn Food Company is a premier full-service catering company with locations in Cedar Rapids and Dubuque, Iowa, specializing in exceptional wedding catering. Founded by Jude Villafana and his wife, Carrie Quast, we are passionate about bringing unforgettable dining experiences to weddings of all sizes—from intimate gatherings to grand celebrations. Our goal is to customize every detail of your meal to reflect your vision and make your special day truly memorable.
Cuisine & Services
At Peppercorn Food Company, we take pride in our scratch-made cuisine and exceptional service. Our team handles delivery, setup, and cleanup, ensuring a seamless experience for you and your guests. We offer a variety of catering styles, including plated meals, buffets, family-style service, hors d’oeuvres, interactive stations, tapas, and more—perfectly tailored to suit your wedding’s theme and preferences.
We specialize in a range of culinary styles, including classic American, Greek, Italian, and Latin American cuisine. Additionally, we accommodate a variety of dietary needs, offering dishes that are:
Gluten-free
Nut-free
Vegetarian
Lactose-free
Organic
Pork-free
Vegan
Whether you're envisioning a casual brunch, an elegant plated dinner, or a lively buffet, we are dedicated to crafting a delicious, customized menu that enhances your wedding day. Let us bring your vision to life with impeccable food and service!
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Details
Cuisine
American
BBQ
Cajun
French
Fusion
Greek
Hawaiian
Italian
Latin American
Mexican
Northeastern
Seafood
Southern
Southwestern
Specialty
Dietary Options
Dairy Free
Gluten Free
Nut Free
Organic
Sugar Free
Vegan
Vegetarian
Food & Catering
Buffet
Catering Clean Up
Catering Delivery & Setup
Chef Stations
Family Style
Menu Tastings
Passed Appetizers
Seated Meal
Servers
Any questions?
Meet the team
Jude Villafana
Owner/Operator
I grew up in suburban Minneapolis with parents who were both from New York City. I was exposed to a fair amount of restaurants from early on. What I really liked to do though, was to help my mom in the kitchen as well as cook for myself. My mother was the type of person who was very humble and would make sure everyone was taken care of and fed before she would even sit down. This always stuck to me and as I entered college I spent my first two summers delivering pizzas and loved the fact that the more I hustled, the more money I made.
After College, I spent two years of Teaching then decided I better learn about restaurants since I wanted to own my own restaurant someday. I worked for Buca Di Beppo Restaurants for five years learning all facets of the operation. After I left, my wife and I opened Peppercorn Grill in suburban Minneapolis. We sold the restaurant three years later but always remembered the feeling of living my dream. From then until 2015 I ran a handful of restaurants that I added to my wealth of experience. That year I was recruited to move to Cedar Rapids, IA to turn around Popoli Ristorante which had opened 18 months prior. It was during the next five years I developed a passion for catering all the while learning about the local market. At the end of 2020, my wife and I decided to go out on our own, building on the success of Popoli Catering and opening Peppercorn Food Company. After a great first year (94 events) we added Peppercorn at the Bank as our very own venue space. We are poised to cater well over 140 events in 2022 and are looking forward to a great 2023 and beyond.
Availability
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.08 reviews
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Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Peppercorn Food Company receives glowing reviews for their wedding catering services. Customers praise the exceptional quality and presentation of the food, with rave reviews for dishes such as sea bass and short rib. Jude and Megan are highlighted for their professionalism and responsiveness, while the staff are commended for their attention to detail and accommodating service, such as addressing food allergies and preferences. Overall, Peppercorn is highly recommended for weddings and private events, with multiple guests still raving about the delicious meals served.- Top reviews
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Andrea B
5.0
10/20/2024
We are so happy that we found Peppercorn Food Company. We got married yesterday but needed to write a review ASAP! Their communication throughout our engagement was great. They answered every single question we had very quickly. We could entirely create the menu we wanted and we were absolutely blown away by the food. The most tender filet I have ever had! The staff were absolutely amazing, nice, and so helpful. They catered to everyone’s needs- making certain filets well done and even making a late night pizza cheese free for a guest that is allergic to dairy without even being asked! Highly recommend Peppercorn Food Company!
Taylor K
5.0
6/08/2024
We had the absolute best experience all around for our wedding catering!!! Firstly, I will say we got SO MANY compliments on our wedding food. Everything from the passed appetizers, to the meal, to the dessert, to the late night food was impeccably made and presented. My 80 year old grandpa said the filet mignon was the best steak he has ever had and overall was highly raved about amongst guests. The late night sliders had the same sentiment and it was so great to hear such amazing feedback from guests throughout the evening on our food. Secondly, the high level of service and attention to detail from the very beginning of working with Peppercorn to the actual wedding day was astounding. They were highly responsive, encouraged questions, cared about the details, and on the day of the wedding had strong professionalism and service. Everything operated so smoothly throughout our entire time working with Peppercorn. We are so thankful we chose them as our catering vendor for our big day- I promise you will not regret working with them! Thank you Jude and the Peppercorn team!!!
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Erin C
5.0
4/30/2024
Delicious food, professional service, classy presentation... We got so many compliments about The food we served at our wedding! The tasting in and of itself was a fabulous experience, Jude went above and beyond to accommodate my many food allergies to make sure all of the food I wanted to eat on our big day was safe for me. The staff present on our wedding day were professional and friendly. I highly recommend Peppercorn for any wedding, but also any private event that you would want catered!
Bailey M
5.0
8/21/2023
Peppercorn not only had AMAZING warm, plated meals of delicious sea bass and short rib that our 200 guests are still raving about but they were incredibly organized, timely and excellent to work with. I would recommend Peppercorn to any and everyone. Jude and Megan are a pleasure to work with and I trusted their opinions and recommendations the entire way and it did not disappoint. I highly recommend Peppercorn.
Matt K
5.0
8/20/2023
Jude & the team absolutely knocked our socks off with the quality and presentation of every part of the meal. Highly recommend peppercorn we will be using them again for future events!
Amy M
5.0
7/03/2023
The folks at Peppercorn Food Co. are top notch professionals. I organized a 50th wedding anniversary party for my parents from out of state. I contacted Peppercorn Food Co. and was immediately pressed with their timely responses to my questions. They worked with me from start to finish creating the perfect menu for our event. The day of the event, Chef Megan and her team provided both delicious food and amazing service. Everything was prepared fresh and tasted great. The guests could not stop raving about the exceptional quality of food and service. The charcuterie board was a work of art! At the end of the event, they packed everything up for us and checked in to make sure everything was perfect. I would highly recommend choosing them for any event that you have planned in the future.
Francis C
5.0
10/04/2022
Professional in every way. Quick to respond to inquiries and they were flexibile within reason, even as we got close to the event date. The food was outstanding and was served exactly as we were promised. Jude is a class act and a joy to work with.
Emily B
5.0
9/23/2022
Jude was amazing to work with! Throughout the entire process, he kept in contact with me. Day of, everything was set out perfectly, and the staff was amazing. The food that we did have though, while costly, was so worth it. Everyone has been talking about how delicious all of the food was even two weeks later. The staff boxed up all of our leftovers so we could still enjoy them after the wedding! Overall, a really good experience.
Service area
101 3rd Avenue SW Suite 100, Cedar Rapids, IA
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Eastern Iowa -Western Illinois Area
Service area
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Peppercorn Food Company
Jude Villafana
|
Owner/Operator
Typically responds within 24h
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Peppercorn Food Company
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