As Bentley's Fresh Market shuts down, speculation over its successor begins.
The shop -- in the RiverView Shopping Center at Friant and Fort Washington roads -- is selling off merchandise this week. The sale comes as RiverView developer Harold Zinkin Jr. is talking with two potential retailers to take over the space.He won't identify them. But he will say that one retailer sells food, the other doesn't -- and both are compatible with an upscale shopping center."We are very, very close" to finalizing a deal, Zinkin said.He's also working on filling the shopping center's empty restaurant spots: Bentley's Bistro, Flamenco Tapas of Spain and Red Door Asian Bistro all have closed. Among those still open at RiverView: GiGi's Cucina Italiana, Chapala Grill, The Standard and Sakanaya Japanese Cuisine.Closures have been occurring citywide. Fresno had 750 registered restaurants, fast-food joints, refreshment stands and cafés as of June 30, down from 828 when the year began, said city business tax supervisor Connie Alfaro.As a result, popular restaurants and markets are fielding inquiries from Realtors and developers who want to fill empty spaces.Vatche Moukhtarian, owner of the fine-dining restaurant Cracked Pepper Bistro at Fresno Street and Shaw Avenue, said they contact him once a week. "Three years ago, I wouldn't get any sort of a deal," he said. "Now I get really sweet deals."Moukhtarian is interested in starting a second, more casual restaurant. He's eyed Fugazzi's old space at Palm and Nees avenues but doesn't plan to take it.Nick Marziliano of Sam's Italian Deli & Market also is getting inquiries."I'm sure they're calling places like ours because we do have a history in town," Marziliano said. "I'm sure they're asking a lot of the local businesses more than ever before, because the chains aren't expanding as much."Sam's has an incentive to stay put at First Street and Clinton Avenue. Founders Sam and Angela Marziliano own the building and surrounding property. Currently, they have 12,000 square feet of retail, warehouse and kitchen space, as well as room to build more, Nick Marziliano said.He said he's not expanding to the Bentley's space.RiverView business owners are watching the space closely. GiGi's owner Pino Borrelli said he has to work harder now to attract diners to the emptier shopping center. To bolster business, he'll soon switch to a winter menu, adding lower-cost braised meats and specials."We have to do whatever we can to pump the restaurants who are there," Borrelli said.