"I don't want to box myself into a certain style," Sal Cusumano told The Philadelphia Inquirer in September. That month the paper listed his shop, Pizzeria Cusumano, among the region's fall 2026 openings. In the same piece he said the pizzeria at 872 Haddon Ave. will open in October "for sure."
Today is October 4. No exact opening date has been announced. People who live and work near the shop have already said they smell pizza coming from it. Two blocks of Collingswood news this fall follow the same pattern. The new businesses are showing up a little at a time, while the town's own calendar has fixed dates set weeks ahead. Planning October here means using the fixed dates and leaving room for the rest.
Five years from the first Instagram post to "October for sure"
Pizzeria Cusumano has been planned for a long time. According to 42 Freeway and the Inquirer, here is how it got from announcement to almost open:
- September 16, 2021. The pizzeria posts on Instagram for the first time.
- September 21, 2021. Michael Klein of the Inquirer writes about the plan. Sal was working with a restaurant consultant on a lighter, less filling dough, different from the thin-crust, New York-style pizza at his family's restaurants.
- 2024. The family's My Angelo's in West Berlin moves to a much larger, fully remodeled space on Route 73.
- May 2026. Google Street View shows the Collingswood building looking finished from outside.
- September 2026. A teaser reel starts beside the PATCO station, moves through the front door to the dining area, shows Sal putting on his chef's jacket and lighting the ovens, and ends with "Pizzeria Cusumano — Coming October 2026."
42 Freeway's coverage says plainly that it isn't clear why development took this long. The location explains part of the interest. The shop is next to the Collingswood PATCO station, so anyone who rides the train or shops the Saturday market by the tracks walks past it.
What the pizza is supposed to be
Sal Cusumano is a third-generation pizzaiolo from the family behind Angelo's Pizza in West Berlin, Riverside and Voorhees. The menu has changed since 2021. The Inquirer's fall 2026 roundup describes Roman-inspired squares and neo-New York rounds, and says he is planning a small shop with limited seating.
That limited seating will shape how people use the shop. Plan on takeout for a weeknight dinner or slices to bring home from the train. A large group will have trouble getting a table. Inside, the teaser shows a neon sign that reads "Welcome Home Pizza Lovers."
Nothing published so far confirms whether the shop is BYOB, its hours, or its first day. The Instagram account is where the earlier announcements appeared, so the opening date will likely show up there first.
Cultura Books opened before it was finished
Pizzeria Cusumano is taking its time. Cultura Books did the reverse and opened early. The independent bookstore held a soft opening on Friday, October 2, at 606 Haddon Ave., in time for the Collingswood Book Festival weekend. Patch reports the shop is still building its inventory before an official launch, and grand-opening details have not been announced.
The space used to be The Pilates Soul Studio, which moved to the second floor of 226 Haddonfield Rd. in Cherry Hill. NJ PEN names the owners as Michael Maffei and Ashley Staropoli. They describe the shop as a community space for readers of all interests.
Explore New Jersey lists what the shelves are meant to hold:
- General fiction and bestsellers
- Memoir
- Young adult
- Romantasy
- Thrillers
- Diverse children's books, with an emphasis on representation and varied perspectives
The same report says the owners plan children's storytimes and book clubs. None of those have dates yet. With the store still building inventory, the shelves will probably look different from week to week. A visit this month and another after the grand opening could show two different stores.
Another recent arrival in the same downtown is Twelvetrees Home Décor and More. NJ PEN profiled it on August 21. Cherry Hill native Tamara Congleton runs it and stocks affordable gifts and goods for a range of tastes. That profile doesn't give an opening date either.
The dates that are set
The town calendar works differently. Collingswood's October events are listed by date, time and place, and most were published well in advance. If you want to catch the new businesses, these are the dates to plan around.
| Date | Event | Time | Where | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturdays through Nov. 21 | Collingswood Farmers Market | 8 a.m. to noon | Under the PATCO High Speedline, between Collings and Irvin avenues | Confirmed |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | Second Saturday, "Boos + Brews" | 4 to 8 p.m. | Downtown | Confirmed, music TBD |
| Wed., Oct. 14 | Short-film festival | See borough listing | Pocket Park | Confirmed |
| Thu., Oct. 15 | "The Best of the Fest" | 7 p.m., $17 | Scottish Rite Auditorium, 315 White Horse Pike | Confirmed |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | Howl-O-Ween Pup Parade, Costume Contest & Donation Drive | 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. | Holy Trinity Episcopal Church courtyard, 839 Haddon Ave. | Confirmed, rain date Oct. 18 |
| Wed., Oct. 21 | Adult Halloween Movie Night | 5:30 to 8 p.m. | Collingswood Library | Confirmed, film TBA |
| October | Pizzeria Cusumano opening | Not announced | 872 A Haddon Ave. | Expected |
| To be announced | Cultura Books grand opening | Not announced | 606 Haddon Ave. | Pending |
| To be announced | Porchfest | Not announced | Borough-wide porches | Postponed |
October 10 is the busiest day. In the morning, the farmers market runs under the PATCO tracks until noon. The borough's Second Saturday starts downtown at 4 p.m., with beer, an outdoor movie and candy under the "Boos + Brews" theme. The six sidewalk artists listed for that evening are Kasie Blagojevich, Robert Schmus, Kayla Kraft of KaylaKraftDesigns, Fay Horesh, Michelle Kott and Ian Slabyk. Cultura Books is at 606 Haddon Ave., so a stop there fits easily between the morning market and the evening event.
The Collingswood Civic Collective's Howl-O-Ween on October 17 has its own schedule. Yappy Hour and check-in run from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., and the parade and costume contest start at 7 p.m. at 839 Haddon Ave. If you're bringing a dog, aim to arrive during check-in.
Just over the border in Haddon Township, the Westmont Lions Club lists its 78th Annual Halloween Parade for Thursday, October 29, at 7:30 p.m. on Haddon Avenue. That one is a Haddon Township event. The borough's Fall Events page lists Halloween trick-or-treating on October 31 from 2 to 7 p.m., but those hours sit under a heading labeled "Fall 2025 Event Highlights," so watch for a 2026 notice before counting on them.
Porchfest is the date still missing
Porchfest is the biggest gap in October. The event was set for Saturday, September 26. On September 25 it was postponed because of the storm forecast. The Courier-Post reported that organizers were considering October or early November. Patch said the new date was still being worked out with performers and porch hosts. The borough's Porchfest page still shows the original September 26 date.
If Porchfest moves to October, it will compete for a weekend with Howl-O-Ween, Second Saturday and the farmers market Saturdays. Keep one weekend open until organizers announce the date. Pizzeria Cusumano and Cultura Books are in the same position. Each could announce its date any day, so the calendar needs some open space for them.
New openings near the PATCO station can change how buyers see a block, whether or not you're planning to sell. If you'd like to know what Pizzeria Cusumano, Cultura Books and the rest of this fall's Haddon Avenue changes mean for your home's value, Steven Piacquadio can walk you through it block by block. Request a Free Market Valuation, and see more about the town on our Collingswood neighborhood page.
