Ricky was born in Montreal, Quebec. The youngest of three children, he was raised by two hard-working women, his Mother, Sandra and his Grandmother, Jean. Role models, they were actively involved not only with community volunteering but also with women’s issues and business and personal mentoring. Their commitment to giving back gave Ricky a solid foundation to thrive. Growing up, Ricky was actively involved in sports, particularly organized hockey and baseball. These extracurricular activities, coupled with what he learned from his family, taught him the importance of hard work, determination, perseverance, community spirit, and teamwork.

He moved to Simcoe County, from Toronto, in 1999 to pursue his dream of opening his own restaurant. His vision was to create a sustainable venture, a place where he could give back, be a mentor, and help develop and nurture his community just as his mother and grandmother had done when he was a child. It was not an easy task, and Ricky never gave up.

The concept of Dillon’s took sixteen years to come to fruition. During those years, Ricky worked hard to bring his dream to reality. He enrolled in an Entrepreneurial Business course to learn how to run, manage, and market his vision. He took positions in other dining establishments, both big and small, worked with like-minded managers, reaped the benefit of their knowledge and expertise, and was mentored, which all helped determine exactly what he wanted his space to be.

Dillon’s Wood Fired Pizza opened on May 4, 2016, and Ricky has never looked back! Always aiming to make his guest’s dining experience a memorable one, he has created an atmosphere that is warm and inviting, food that is unique and delicious, and teammates that are like-minded and passionate about what they do.