New restaurants coming to Fresno’s River Park, longtime businesses closing, more changes
River Park is looking a little different these days.
And it’s not just because the shopping center is emerging from months of coronavirus shelter-at-home orders.
Some big names at the center have closed. New restaurants are opening for the first time. Other big changes are in the works too.
For now, many large store at River Park are still closed, like H&M and Sephora. Macy’s and Victoria’s Secret are still boarded up (though Macy’s is doing curbside pickup). Many smaller chain stores are closed too.
But most of the locally-owned stores are open, like clothing retailers Eye Candy Fashion Boutique, Pum Bum Society and jewelry store JULIA.
Many of the chain stores are slowly reopening, staggering their openings as they get the go-ahead from their corporate headquarters, noted Tracy Kashian, River Park senior vice president of marketing and public relations.
Most restaurants at River Park are open, though some are still serving takeout through pickup windows.
But there are more long-term changes happening too. Here’s the latest on who’s opening and closing.
Yoshino
Japanese Restaurant Yoshino has closed.
The restaurant’s lease expired and the owner decided not to renew it, Kashian said. Its other location, at 6226 N. Blackstone Ave., remains open.
Calls to the River Park location about why the restaurant closed were not returned.
The restaurant has been a fixture in River Park for years, with its patio being part of the bustling main square near the theaters. A prime spot, it will likely attract another business, Kashian said.
“We miss any tenant that leaves, but it really is an opportunity for us to grab something new and exciting,” she added. “That’s always a plus.”
Smallcakes
River Park now has a cupcake shop.
Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery is a cupcake and ice cream shop that opened Monday next to the IMAX Theatres.
It specializes in cupcakes, like its “famous red velvet,” wedding cake, carrot cake, and birthday cake, all in cupcake size.
The shop has been open since 2017 at the southeast corner of Nees and Palm avenues. It’s a national franchise with a local owner and 190 locations in 20 states.
It closed entirely in March when COVID-19 restrictions first hit, reopening in its new home in River Park Monday.
Now, it’s added soft serve ice cream, cotton candy and more desserts, said owner Sukhi Nahal.
The new place has a lot more foot traffic than its previous location, with hopes that customers will stop by for a cupcake while browsing the shops or after a movie, she said.
“We just saw the energy, we saw all the people, the farmers market … we came here and felt at home. It was a better fit,” she said.
Smallcakes is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.
Planet Hair
Salon Planet Hair has closed after nearly 20 years in River Park. Its lease had expired and the owners decided not to renew, said Kashian
The Bee reached out to Planet Hair online, and someone from the company said the closure was not due to COVID-19, but declined to comment further.
According to Planet Hair’s Facebook page, clients are asked to call the salon at 559-438-4262 and leave a message to stay in touch with their stylists.
Fuwa Fuwa
You may have seen the YouTube videos of the fluffy Japanese souffle pancakes that jiggle so much on the plate they inspire giggles.
That’s what’s coming to River Park.
Fuwa Fuwa Souffle & Cafe is moving into a space between IMAX and Five Guys Burgers & Fries. It will serve coffee, tea and Asian desserts, including the Japanese pancakes.
Japanese pancake restaurants are a trend that’s taking off in major cities in the United States and the rest of the world. But they’re not like the pancakes you eat for breakfast in the U.S., noted Lee Broggi, a partner in the business whose niece Xiang Wu is the chef and owner.
He compares the tall, fluffy pancakes to a coffee cake-like dessert that can be eaten in the morning or as a post-dinner treat.
“They’re not like pancakes, really, they’re so light and airy,” he said. “They’re not super filling.”
They can come drizzled with caramel, whipped cream and other toppings.
Fuwa fuwa will also serve ice cream-based desserts from across Asia, including tea ice cream and “just amazing types of desserts that we’ve never seen here in the U.S.,” Broggi said.
The owner is hoping to open this summer.
Regal Cinemas renovation
Since the theaters are closed right now because of COVID-19, the company decided it would be a good time for a massive renovation.
They’re going to look a lot different when it’s finished.
The overhang where people line up to buy tickets? That wall will be pushed outward, and movie-goers will buy tickets inside.
“It will be new everything – seating, a lobby, VIP, concession,” said Kashian.
Restrooms, VIP lounge areas and the exterior facade will be renovated. Each of the 22 theaters will be renovated, with new seating.
An IMAX theater will be added inside the main building.
The theater has already added ScreenX, which surrounds the audience with a 270-degree view with multiple screens, and 4DX. That’s the technology that features moving seats, special effects that simulate wind, fog, rain and lightning, and a system that pumps in scents.
Regal recently renewed its 15-year lease.
It’s not clear yet how long the renovation will take.
Once movie theaters get the OK to reopen, Regal will reopen, though some theaters will be closed as renovations happen, Kashian said.
Macaroni Grill
Romano’s Macaroni Grill told The Bee back in April that it had closed not just for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic, but permanently.
The restaurant closed a handful of locations around the country.
The restaurant still has its signs up on the building and time left on its lease. Its high profile location means the space is likely to be in high demand by other restaurants that want to move in.
BarrelHouse Brewing
Work continues on BarrelHouse Brewing’s newest taproom, in the former Wavelengths Surf Shop and the empty spot next door, right next to Teazer World Tea Market. The business is planning to open sometime in August or September.
Large barricades with the name of the Paso Robles-based brewery block the view of construction work from the main plaza.
BarrelHouse is planning a 50-foot bar with 25 taps serving BarrelHouse favorites. The 6,000-square-foot indoor section will have plenty of tables, a stage for live music and pinball machines and shuffleboard.
The entire front of the building will have roll-up doors and a 1,500-square-foot patio.
This story was originally published June 6, 2020 at 9:00 AM.
