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FAIRFIELD – Leo Lopez is putting his own personal touch on the restaurant that now bears his name.

Lopez runs Leo’s Pizza & Grill at 605 W. Burlington Ave., formerly known as Riverside Family Restaurant III. Lopez said he began working for the restaurant when it was still known as Riverside, and after being there for three months, the owners asked him if he’d like to take over the business.

“I said, ‘If you guys give me the opportunity, I can do it,’” Lopez said.

Lopez took on his new role last summer. He continued to run the business under the name Riverside, but in the back of his mind, he wanted to experiment with some changes. He wanted to put his own spin on the menu, doing things differently from the other restaurants in the chain. He altered the salads and sandwiches on the menu and gave them new names.

Ultimately, Lopez decided that he wanted to give the business a fresh start by changing its name. He wanted to rid himself of the baggage associated with the old name, since the business had undergone a turnover in management and most of the staff before he got there, with the former manager opening his own restaurant on the west edge of town.

In June 2025, Lopez unveiled the restaurant’s new name, Leo’s Pizza & Grill. It reflects both the change in ownership and the fact that the restaurant now serves pizza, too.

“Pizza is always fun to eat,” he said. “It’s one thing you can’t go wrong with because people just love pizza.”

Lopez said he feels like the changes he’s made are attracting more customers, too.

“Changing the name, changing the atmosphere and changing the food items were crucial for helping me succeed faster than what I was doing,” he said. “I’m just trying to do my own thing.”

When it comes to pizza flavors and toppings, Lopez says he sticks with the traditional choices, but he puts his own personal touch on them. He’s got the usual ones like cheese and pepperoni, and he’s got his “House” pizza, which has “all the ingredients.” He offers a barbecue chicken pizza, a buffalo chicken, and one named after his wife Melissa that has fresh jalapenos.

“One of the most popular right now, in the last two weeks, has been the taco pizza,” Lopez said. “It’s pretty loaded.”

Apart from pizza, the restaurant offers “Leo’s Burger,” half a pound of hamburger with onions, tomatoes, jalapenos and pepperjack cheese.

“I built that one myself and it’s been very popular,” Lopez said.

Lopez said he has simplified the menu and removed breakfast items. He said the previous menu was too long, and he felt that customers might prefer a simpler one. Plus, the business is not open in the early morning, though it does open for lunch in the late morning and stay open until the late evening. The only day it’s not open is Tuesday, and then it’s open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. the other days except on Sunday when it closes at 8 p.m.

Lopez said his wife is one of the main reasons the business has been a success, and apart from the two of them, the restaurant has eight employees. Lopez has been in the restaurant business a long time, and mentioned that this year is his 25th in the industry.

“Fairfield has had my back, and I’ve tried to give the best customer service I could,” he said. “I want the community to get what they pay for.”