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A sign of the times.
A beloved Southern California amusement park will soon be closing for good, but one nostalgic pizza joint that’s outlasted two theme parks isn’t going anywhere.
Fiesta Village Family Fun Park in Colton — about 50 miles east of Los Angeles off the 215 Freeway — is set to shut its gates this month after more than five decades, with owners Michelle and Patrick O’Brien blaming declining attendance and rising operating costs.
But while the rides are coming to an end, Nickelodeon Pizza is staying put.
The family-owned restaurant announced it will continue serving customers from its longtime location at Fiesta Village, assuring worried locals that the closure of the amusement park won’t spell the end of one of Colton’s most enduring institutions.
“We are extremely saddened to hear the news of their closing, after so many generations of people have enjoyed the amusement park over the years,” the restaurant wrote on Facebook.
“We would like the community to know that Nickelodeon Pizza will remain open. We will stay in the same building and will operate under the same business hours.”
The pizza parlor’s survival is nothing new.
The business traces its roots back to 1973, when it opened as Roaring 20’s Pizza Parlor across from San Bernardino Valley College. It later moved into Movieland Frontier Town in 1981 after adopting the Nickelodeon Pizza name, becoming one of the last businesses standing before that Old West-themed attraction closed in 2000.
It was inspired by a nickel arcade inside the park, where there was an old Nickelodeon, an 1890s player piano. It has been a staple in the community ever since.
After a brief stint at another Colton location, the restaurant came full circle by returning to Fiesta Village in 2006 — and now it’s once again outliving the theme park it calls home.
Former owner Gary Grossich, who handed the restaurant over to Colton natives Michael and Amanda in 2025, said he isn’t worried the park’s closure will sink the business.
“As far as the pizza restaurant is concerned, I think it’s going to be just fine,” Grossich told The California Post.
“When I sold the business, I specifically worked with people who live right here in Colton and understand how important the business is to the community.”
“That’s important to me because I love the people of Colton,” he added.
Grossich, who spent decades tied to both the restaurant and the amusement parks surrounding it, called Fiesta Village’s demise a “sign of the times.”
“Yeah, it’s a sad day. It’s a sad time. I was involved with Fiesta Village as early as 1973, so I saw a lot of what happened there over the years—the different attractions and everything within the park,” he said.
“Kids are spending more time on their cell phones and away from the kinds of activities we used to enjoy when we were younger. It seems like that’s gone out of vogue.”
“Company picnics were a big part of our revenue, and when things get difficult, they’re not coming out,” Michelle O’Brien told SF Gate.
“A lot of people would rather sit on their cell phones and play video games. It’s just a different era,” he added.
Grossich said Fiesta Village is hardly the first local attraction to disappear.
“It’s not the first amusement park in the area to close, either. Pharaoh’s closed a few years ago, and Scandia on the 215 closed too. They’ve been dwindling down,” he said.
In a message on their website, Fiesta Village thanked the staff and community for all the great memories.
“Thank you for allowing us to be part of your lives and your family traditions. We will always cherish the role Fiesta Village has played in bringing people together.”
The park’s final days of public operation are listed as July 10 and July 11, with several private parties scheduled for following dates.
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