Franchising

Riko's Pizza to expand Connecticut footprint

Photo: Riko's Pizza

July 10, 2024

Riko's Pizza has inked deals for two locations in Fairfield County, Connecticut, bringing the brand's Connecticut footprint to six and its national locations to 11.

The Riko's Westport location is directly opposite the Westport Metro North Train Station and Luciano Park. Being built in a large stand-alone property, Riko's of Westport will feature a 2,400 square-foot restaurant with an open-concept design, 27 tables, a 38-foot bar with 18 stools and 20 TVs. The location is being launched in partnership with a new franchisee group and is expected to open sometime in Q4 2024-Q1 2025.

"Westport is not only one of the most dynamic markets in Connecticut, but one of the top suburban markets for restaurant operators anywhere in the country," Rico Imbrogno, co-founder and CEO of Riko's Pizza, said in the press release. "This new location is going to be awesome. High ceilings, a huge bar, dozens of tables with enough seating for 140 guests and the classic Riko's décor mixed with large TVs from wall to wall. Westport simply does not have anything like Riko's Pizza, and we are so excited to bring our delicious tavern-style pizza and 'neighborhood joint' atmosphere even closer to the town's vibrant residents who have come to love our brand through our other locations in Fairfield County."

The brand will also move and upgrade its legacy carryout-only location in Norwalk to its full restaurant and bar concept on 85 New Canaan Avenue on the Norwalk-New Canaan border. This location will be a 4,600 square-foot space with 32 tables, a 37-foot-long bar, 25 stools and 14 TVs. Once the new Riko's of Norwalk is open, Riko's will close its legacy takeout-only location at 247 Connecticut Avenue. This new corporate-owned location is expected to open in late Q4 2024 or Q1 2025.

"Our full restaurant and bar concept has proven successful everywhere we go, and we are thrilled to bring it to the Norwalk market, where we have successfully operated a takeout-only restaurant since 2012," Imbrogno added. "Moreover, by moving our Norwalk location to the Broad River Neighborhood, we have enabled the Company to better serve its Norwalk and New Canaan customer bases, which are equally important. In looking at our planned Westport restaurant, once open, we will have six operating locations across the state, from the Stamford-Greenwich border to Black Rock. This will ensure that Riko's Pizza serves every corner of Connecticut's Gold Coast!"

Riko's Pizza was founded in 2011. The company currently has four corporate locations and six franchised.