Fresno lost Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s. Which local businesses are taking their place?
Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s pretzels have left town.
Both locations at Fashion Fair mall in Fresno closed months ago and have been replaced by locally-owned restaurants.
The newcomers reflect Fresno’s diverse population a little more than their predecessors, and the arrival of one was at least partially influenced by the coronavirus pandemic. More on that in a moment.
Acevedo’s Artisan Bakery sells all kinds of baked goods, along with Mexican drinks. And Boba Pub sells the Asian-inspired tea with chewy balls of boba that’s become so popular in Fresno recently.
The eateries are located between Macy’s and JCPenney.
Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s
When they were open, Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s were popular mall mainstays. Neither returned messages about why they closed.
Auntie Anne’s still has locations at Visalia Mall, the Tulare Outlet Center and Hanford Mall.
Cinnabon doesn’t have any regular stores left in the central San Joaquin Valley, though there are a few inside truck stops.
Boba Pub
If the name Boba Pub sounds familiar, it’s because it’s under the same ownership as the Boba Pub at Cedar and Barstow Avenues.
The mall location has a smaller menu, serving black and green teas, and milk tea with boba, noted owner Thi Nguyen.
“They needed one in there,” she said of the mall. “There’s none, and boba and milk tea, it’s really popular.”
She’s working on a third location, this one at Peach Avenue and Kings Canyon Road near Sunnyside High School.
Acevedo’s Artisan Bakery
This is the same business that was located at Champlain Drive and Perrin Avenue, under the name Acevedo’s Postreria Gourmet.
When COVID-19 hit in the spring, employees lost child care and it was hard to retrain staff, so owner Gabriel Acevedo decided to close.
He continued to sell his mini pies and other desserts, and do custom cake orders at farmers markets.
When the Cinnabon spot opened up, he took it. He’s been busy ever since.
The bakery sells lots of mini pies (lemon meringue, piña colada, etc.), large cake pops, cannoli made with tiramisu filling and marsala wine, and a 4-inch brownie dipped in Ghirardelli chocolate. There’s also chocoflan — a half flan, half chocolate cake dessert.
Acevedo’s has a full line of espresso drinks like lattes, many using Rosa Brothers Milk Co. milk from Tulare.
There’s horchata, a traditional Mexican drink made with cinnamon and sugar. In a modern twist, you can get a drink that’s half horchata, half cold brew coffee with cold foam on top.
Champurrado, a thick Mexican hot chocolate, is also on the menu.
And there’s a banana licuado, similar to a milkshake, but with espresso in it, Acevedo said.
Acevedo’s will resume custom orders of cakes and other desserts (which had been on hold while getting the new place going) in January.
The owner is also working on a bakery truck that will visit places like Clovis and possibly Visalia.
This story was originally published December 28, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
