Another north Fresno restaurant closes – but why?

A craft beer bar and bistro that also specialized in wine has closed barely a year after it opened.

Craft Beer Wine Bistro, which also served food, was one of the first restaurants to open in Park Crossing. That’s the new shopping center at Friant Road and Fresno Street near Sportsman’s Warehouse.

Craft Beer Wine Bistro is owned by the father and son who run The Fort, a liquor store at Fort Washington and Friant roads specializing in craft beer.

The son, Sunny Sandhu, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Craft Beer Wine Bistro’s closure comes just days after another high-profile business in north Fresno, the Elephant Bar, closed.

A peek through the windows of Craft Beer Wine Bistro revealed an empty space. Chairs, tables, TVs are gone and the kitchen is empty.

The business was for sale even before it closed. The owners are asking $75,000 for the “business, equipment, and goodwill,” according to its listing.

Rent for the 1,400-square-foot space was $5,794.52 per month.

Craft Beer Wine Bistro opened at a time when craft beer sales were booming in Fresno. Many craft beer bars in Fresno are thriving, like Goldstein’s Mortuary & Delicatessen and Spokeasy Public House, both in the Tower District.

Some commenters said they weren’t surprised about the Craft Beer Wine Bistro closure on a post in the Facebook group Central Valley Craft Beer Drinkers.

The closure comes months after another restaurant, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, closed in the same center after about a year in business. That situation appeared related to the restaurant itself, with a smattering of Dickey’s locations closing across the country.

Plenty of other restaurants are surviving in the center, including the popular Butterfish – which is planning a second location in Clovis – Habit Burger Grill, Jersey Mike’s Subs and Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt.

The center is continuing to construct new buildings, including a new Trader Joe’s and Petco. It has received lots of interest from potential tenants, the retail broker for the center, Harold Zinkin, has said in the past.

This story was originally published September 1, 2017 at 12:23 PM with the headline "Another north Fresno restaurant closes – but why?."