These Fresno restaurants are gone. New food options are already opening in their spots
It’s hard to see longtime restaurants close.
Fresno has lost of a lot of them the last year and half for a variety of reasons, including the fallout from COVID-19.
But the upside? New restaurants are already moving into those same spaces. In some cases, the same owners are simply switching concepts.
So we thought we’d take a look at restaurants that have closed and what’s in the process of opening in their spot. It includes everything from a longtime pizza place to a prominent River Park restaurant.
Here’s a look at who’s doing what.
Deli Delicious/Dervo’s Deli
Justin Dervishian didn’t close his sandwich shop because he had to. He wanted to do something new.
He ran the Deli Delicious on Shaw Avenue, across the street from the Save Mart Center and near Starbucks, for 10 years. When his franchise contract expired, he decided to strike out on his own.
He opened Dervo’s Deli and Grill, which opened last month. Dervo is a nickname (stemming from his last name, Dervishian) he got when he was 12.
“I just wanted to go out on my own,” he said. “I learned a lot over the previous 10 years … and felt like it was time to branch out on my own.”
The restaurant decor looks a lot different now, but it still has those recognizable Deli D chairs.
It’s still a sandwich shop, but has a lot more on the menu now.
You’ll find hot and cold sandwiches, burgers, and salads. Many have Dervishian’s own twist, like the patty melt with caramelized onions on rye bread, and the southwest chicken salad with quinoa and a spicy ranch dressing made in house.
There’s a fried chicken section on the menu too.
The owner’s recommendation? The Dervo’s special fried chicken sandwich, which comes with jack cheese and a slaw made from kale.
“It sounds kinda weird but it’s absolutely delicious,” he said. “Kale slaw on a fried (chicken) sandwich, something about it actually works.”
Details: Dervo’s is at 2633 E. Shaw Ave., suite 103. 559-291-1454. Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays.
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The Hangar/Brooks Burgers
When the airplane-themed River Park restaurant The Hangar shut its doors a few weeks back, plenty of Fresnans were left wondering what was going on.
Regular readers of The Bee may already already know. A behind the scenes switcheroo and one of the partners is planning something new. He’s opening a Brooks Burgers restaurant in that spot.
It specializes in big burgers, like a “black and bleu” burger served with bacon, blue cheese, grilled onions and “Boss Sauce.”
He’s partnering with the Brooks family, which has a Brooks Burgers location in Pismo. Many Fresnans may know them from Brooks Ranch, Happy Steak or Cool Hand Luke’s restaurants.
The owners are aiming for a mid August opening, though no specific date has been set yet.
Tony’s Pizzeria/Calzone Italia
Tony’s Pizzeria was in business for 50 years before closing. The restaurant at Shields and Fruit avenues was a little place with a big reputation.
Owner Josephine Sciola was forced into retirement at age 82, according to her son, Tony Sciola, who owns Campagnia restaurant in north Fresno. She was driving to work in March when she was hit by two vehicles that ran a red light. Because of her injuries, they decided to sell the business, he told The Bee in an email earlier this summer.
Since then, Calzone Italia has opened in its place.
It’s also a pizza place, and also sells calzones, pasta, and sandwiches.
New co-owner Ashok Sharma’s recommendations? The calzones – now baked, not fried – and the “special Hawaiian pizza,” with Canadian bacon, pineapple, jalapeños, grilled chicken, bacon and barbecue sauce.
The new owners have also added seating and the dining room can now seat about 30 people.
Details: Calzone Italia is at 413 W. Shields Ave. and offers delivery via several services. Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Le Parisien Cafe/Yava Bakery
If you’ve driven past Palm and Nees avenues you may have noticed the large “baking soon” banner on what used to be Le Parisien Cafe.
The lease for the breakfast-and-lunch cafe serving colorful macarons and other French pastries expired in January and owner Goretti Roche told The Bee she decided to close for personal reasons a little before that.
Now, Yava Bakery is planning to move in.
It too will be a breakfast and lunch spot, but with a focus on Middle Eastern pastries and cakes. Behind it is owner Abdallah Qawadri, who also owns several Kabab City restaurants in the area.
The restaurant will have Middle Eastern and Italian influences, he said.
You might find shakshuka, a dish with eggs cooked in tomato sauce and other ingredients, on the menu, for example.
Yava is “one of the most beautiful cities in Palestine,” Qawadri said.
Work is taking longer than expected. Qawadri now hopes to open in December or January.
This story was originally published August 10, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
