This chain steakhouse closed its Fresno restaurant after 43 years. Here’s what we know
The Black Angus Steakhouse in Fresno has closed.
The restaurant sent messages Tuesday afternoon via email and Facebook to its customers with this message: “Saying goodbye to Fresno: Thank you for celebrating 43 years with us.”
It continued: “We are grateful to all of our guests, whether you celebrated a birthday, holiday, anniversary, or any old Tuesday with us. We sincerely hope that even though our doors are permanently closed, your experience with us remains memorable.”
The location’s lease is expiring, said Liz Geavaras, chief marketing officer for the Black Angus corporate office in Sherman Oaks.
“We have been in the Fresno area for 43 years. We’ve had such a great run,” she said. “Our lease was coming to an end and we just decided to move on.”
The Fresno restaurant was on its own in its market, meaning it didn’t have the “synergy” that can be achieved with marketing and advertising for multiple locations in the same area, she added.
Black Angus, at 1737 E. Shaw Ave., near Cedar Avenue, has long been a familiar American favorite on the Fresno restaurant scene.
Its spent all 43 years at that location.
With its bar and Fresno State so close by, it was a frequent hot spot, especially in years past.
“It was hard to move on,” Geavaras said. “We’re just so thankful for the time that we’ve had in the community – anniversaries, wedding proposals, engagement, holidays – we’re thankful for that.”
The 55-year-old chain has 41 locations in six states, from Hawaii to Alaska, with the bulk of restaurants in California.
Like other large chains, restaurants occasionally close a few locations here and there as a normal part of doing business. Last year, Black Angus closed locations in Sunnyvale and San Diego, for example.
The closure leaves yet another empty building on that stretch of Shaw Avenue. To the west of Black Angus, Taps & Tacos is empty and for sale. To the east, Marie Callender’s has closed, but is slated to reopen sometime this spring.
This story was originally published March 10, 2020 at 4:23 PM.
