Why did this Fresno Applebee’s close — and what’s coming next to this location?
The Applebee’s in northeast Fresno is closed – not just during the COVID-19 pandemic, but for good.
The restaurant at Herndon and Cedar avenues closed a while back, on July 26.
It did not close because of the coronavirus pandemic, however. The decision to close was made before the outbreak, according to the company.
A representative didn’t say specifically why this restaurant closed, but said locations occasionally close for all sorts of reasons, including declining traffic in the neighborhood and leases expiring, for example.
Said Nichole McCarthy, marketing coordinator at Apple American Group, an Applebee’s franchisee: “We greatly appreciate our neighbors’ patronage for the past 25 years, and look forward to having you dine with us at the remaining Applebee’s restaurants in Fresno and the surrounding area. All team members were offered positions at nearby restaurants.”
Applebee’s still has three restaurants in the area: Near Friant Road and Highway 41, on West Shaw Avenue, and at Shaw and Minnewawa avenues in Clovis.
What’s moving into that building?
The building the restaurant was in is a large one, and on a prominent corner that would typically attract lots of interest from potential tenants.
The building is up for sale or lease.
A representative from the real estate firm handling the property said a sale is already in the works. The property is in escrow for an “alternative use,” though declined to share any more details.
As for what that means (not a restaurant? a different kind of restaurant?), we’ll have to wait until the property has been sold to a new owner to know.
This story was originally published September 24, 2020 at 11:11 AM.
