Leon Newman, a Mt Airy native, moved to New Jersey and started his family there and worked as an electrician. Though his primary job was being an electrician, he really loved cooking! With a busy life and the added stress of being in a big city, Leon and his wife Eileen decided to move to Mt Airy in the mid 1980’s and open their first Leon’s Burger Express off US Highway 601. After working very long hours and building up their restaurant, Leon convinced thier daughter and son-in-law, Vicky and Paul Riekenhof to leave their home in New Jersey and partner with them. Soon after the restaurant was built up well, they moved to our current location in downtown where we have been since the late 80’s. Though the California Cheeseburger is the hot item, it hasn’t been the only contributor to our success; it also comes from a dedicated family-owned business with a superior, hardworking staff! In 2025, Paul and Vicky decided to retire after spending many years building Leon’s up to where it is today. Currently David Wall, a Yadkin Valley local, decided to embark on a new journey to carry on the 2-generation legacy that started with Leon and Eileen! You will see the Wall family in there now, but we live by the quote “don’t fix what isn’t broke”, so nothing has changed since changing ownership. The only thing that has changed is your mouth watering for one of our Mayberry famous California Cheeseburgers! We are located at 407 N Main St, Mt Airy, NC. Come pay us a visit and we promise you will not regret it!