NEW OWNERSHIP EXCITED TO “CONTINUE THE MAGIC” AT RILEY’S ON 2ND STREET
- LB908
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
By John Grossi
Photos by Monique Kuhlman
In 2020, retired professional golfer and Long Beach resident John Mallinger bought into Riley’s because it was the one place in Long Beach where he always felt most comfortable. “Even when I was competing on the PGA tour, training every day, this was the one spot I would come and hang out after practice,” Mallinger says.
Since the buy-in, John had stayed mostly behind the scenes. Riley’s founder and managing owner, Mike Ellis, continued to run the restaurant. But in early 2026, Mike told John he was ready to sell his share. Mallinger immediately felt the weight of a major responsibility; either find the right partners or shut the place down.
“I did not want to just sell this beloved local brand to the highest bidder and have them turn it into something else,” says John.
Family-Friendly And Family-Owned
Luckily, he found two locals whose veins run deeper in Long Beach than most. Dan D’Sa and Matt Knabe are both from multigenerational Long Beach families and are long-time customers who understand what makes Riley’s so special. They want to protect that brand.
“Riley’s feels like your living room. It’s the one sports bar on 2nd street in Belmont Shore that you can always count on to be first and foremost, family-friendly,” says Dan. “John has made it a point of emphasis that we want to keep it that way.”
The first line of business for Mallinger, D’Sa, and Knabe was to hire longtime beloved Riley’s bartender/server/manager Brittany Reyes to be the General Manager.
Brittany, who had sworn she would never work in a restaurant again, said Riley’s is the one place that could bring her back. “There’s something magical about this place,” she said, echoing Mallinger’s sentiment.
Knabe added, “We all live and raise our families in Long Beach. We hope our local pride shines through and brings other Long Beach locals back again and again to support Riley’s on 2nd Street.” All of their employees have stayed on during the transition, including their longest serving employee, Sal Ramos, who just celebrated 20 years at Riley’s!
What’s New?
The new owners have remodeled the bathrooms, brought back some old menu favorites, and will start serving specials for big sporting events this summer! Longtime chef, Angel Reveles, has also been introducing fresh recipes to breathe new life to the menu and an all-new summer cocktail program has been rolled out by Brittany!
Follow their updates and specials on Instagram: @rileyslbc
5331 2nd St., Long Beach, CA 90803 | rileyslbc.com | (562) 856-1612
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