A historic downtown Fresno building is almost renovated and a popular bakery is moving in
A Brewery District building that’s 103 years old is almost finished with renovations and has signed its first business.
Palo Verde Bakery plans to open with seating inside the former Sun Stereo warehouse at 736 Fulton St., which is across the street from Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Co.
Another unnamed tenant is close to finalizing a deal to rent space on the ground floor, with more available, said developer Reza Assemi. The second floor will soon be available for creative offices, along with a basement space.
A cannabis dispensary had wanted to move into the building, but did not get a permit from the City of Fresno.
The building, owned by developer Assemi and technology entrepreneur Jamin Brazil, is in the heart of the Brewery District. In addition to the beer garden across the street, cocktail bar Modernist is nearby, along with newly opened Dab Tacos and beer tasting spot The 411 Rec Room. The street is frequently shut down on weekends for food trucks and other events.
Palo Verde Bakery
Formerly called Little Wind Bakery, Palo Verde specializes in pastries, sourdough bread and pies.
Owner Natalie Jahanbani’s business supplies pastries to coffee shops Hi-Top Coffee, Fulton Street Coffee and The Revue, and pies to MEGA Texas Barbecue.
She also sells Saturday mornings at the Vineyard Farmers Market at Blackstone and Shaw avenues, often with customers lining up to wait for her pluot Danishes and croissants.
She will continue to supply the local businesses and the farmers market once the downtown location opens.
“We really wanted to be in downtown. There’s so much potential … downtown,” she said. “Once you’re down there and you see how busy it is for Art Hop and you see how much community is down there, it felt like a natural fit.”
The baked goods will remain as organic as possible and using locally sourced grains when it can. Expect a bigger menu eventually with grab-and-go items like sandwiches and coffee and even more bread.
It may be a while before Palo Verde opens there, though. The approximately 1,000-square-foot space is empty, meaning the kitchen still needs to be built out.
The Sun Stereo warehouse (once a car dealership along with lots of other businesses) has a wide hallway leading through the first floor with room for small businesses on either side.
Palo Verde will have an area for all its baking and a seating area for customers.
The bakery will be open early in the day, but Jahanbani also wants to be part of the growing nightlife on Fulton. They bought a pizza oven to do pizza pop-ups, where people can bring their pizza to Modernist or Tioga-Sequoia, for example.
“We really want to integrate ourselves in to the community and not just be a stand alone bakery among cocktails and beer,” she said.
Palo Verde got its start last year at the Clovis Culinary Center, a nonprofit commercial kitchen that helps start-up businesses get going.
A microenterprise grant from the federal government via the City of Clovis helped her pay rent at the kitchens.
Jahanbani outgrowing the space and getting her own is a success story, even if they are sad to see her leave, said Clovis business development manager Shawn Miller.
“It’s what we are designed to do, to help start and grow a business,” he said. “We’re sad, but we’re also very, very happy for her. This is our mission.”
This story was originally published October 25, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
