Riko's Pizza To Move Out Of Selleck Street Location

STAMFORD, CT — Riko's Pizza, known for its hot oil and thin crust pies, will relocate from their original 170 Selleck St. spot to nearby West Main Street and the former building where La Bretagne used to be, the popular French restaurant.

Principal owners Rico Imbrogno and Luigi Cardillo said they hoped to open by the end of 2021, at which point the Selleck Street restaurant will close.

The new building, located at 2010 W. Main St., is 5,000 square feet compared to about 3,000 square feet on Selleck, Imbrogno said. There will be an outdoor patio, and more room to spread out inside — two things that are important as the pandemic wanes.

"It's going to be a little bigger, but we're not going to pack it with seats. Because of the pandemic and social distancing and everything, we're kind of designing the place to be socially distanced," Imbrogno added.

The move to Route 1 near Old Greenwich will also give the brand more exposure, Imbrogno said, as Riko's looks to continue franchising. A second Long Island location just opened up in Mineola earlier this week. In a few months, Riko's will expand out of the tri-state area down to Jupiter, Fla. There is also a Riko's at 886 Hope St. in Stamford, 247 Connecticut Ave. in Norwalk, and on the Hempstead Turnpike in Long Island, N.Y.

"It's a very exciting time for me and the business. This location is a prime location right on Route 1. It's going to open up the whole Greenwich market for us. We do have a decent business to Greenwich right now that we service, but being out there [on West Main Street], people are going to be able to really notice our brand and our brand identity," Cardillo said. "To expand outside our market is exciting. It's proof that all the hard work we've put in the last 10 years is worth it, and we're going to be able to bring this product and our dream to other parts of the United States."

Imbrogno said franchising has taken longer than expected, but it's finally starting to take off.

"I was sitting down in Mineola a few nights ago, and thinking 'Man, it's really happening. It's really coming together.' We're excited and we're getting a lot of interest with other franchisees. It's only a matter of time before we start opening stores on a regular basis, I think," Imbrogno said. "We're taking our time. We want to grow organically and have it really be sustainable. Someday, hopefully there's a Riko's Pizza in every town."

Menu items include salads, salad pizzas, oven baked wings, and of course, signature thin crust pies, including the popular hot oil pizza: homemade hot oil with a batch of stinger peppers on top. Hot oil can be added to any pie.

"Our goal is to bring good food and people together," Cardillo said, "and I think that's what separates us from everyone else."