These Fresno and Clovis restaurants closed in 2022. Some will be back, others won’t
We said goodbye to some beloved restaurants this year.
They closed for a variety of reasons.
Some simply couldn’t make it another year. Inflation slammed restaurants hard this year, along with other challenges, such as staffing shortages, a rising minimum wage and the lingering hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But not every restaurant closes for financial reasons. Some owners simply want to retire.
Or a lease runs out and they decide not to renew it.
There are a few we haven’t seen the last of. They are looking for new locations or other ways of getting their food to your bellies.
And unlike past years, many of these spaces aren’t sitting empty. New restaurants have already opened in several of the locations.
Here’s a look at which restaurants we said goodbye to in 2022.
Restaurants closed in Fresno/Clovis
559 Taqueria’s short-lived Fresno location at the corner of Shepherd and Cedar avenues closed earlier this year. Fluckers Nashville Hot Chicken is now open in the spot.
The original 559 Taqueria is still open on Clovis Avenue in Clovis.
The Broilers closed its Shaw and West avenues location. Its north Fresno and Clovis locations are still open.
Brown Bear’s Hot Dogs, the little drive-thru spot at Fresno Street near Herndon Avenue, lost its lease over the summer, but said it is working toward opening a food truck.
Chubby’s Diner on West Shaw Avenue closed early in the year. Its locations on Gettysburg and North Blackstone avenues are still open.
Hi-Top Coffee in the Tower District closed abruptly in July. It wasn’t exactly clear why, but some complaints by employees were voiced at the time.
Daphne’s, a Greek chain restaurant in the Marketplace at El Paseo in northwest Fresno, made it about a year before closing.
House of Pendragon Brewing Co. closed its Willow Avenue taproom in Clovis over the summer, but progress is being made on plans to reopen elsewhere, the owner said. The Sanger brewery and beer-tasting spot is still open.
Libelula is no longer inside Strummers in the Tower District, but the original Libelula restaurant is still going strong in downtown Fresno.
Mabel’s Kitchen at the West and Herndon avenues car wash closed in February (the spot is now acai and juice bar Loving Seed).
But we haven’t seen the last of this eatery specializing in paninis and baked goods. In a few months, Mabel’s will reopen in Woodward Centre at 7108 N. Fresno St. near the former Sweet Tomatoes.
Magic Lamp, a Mediterranean restaurant that had the misfortune of opening during the pandemic, closed earlier this year. It was in the shopping center at Friant Road and Fresno Street and will soon be replaced by a Houston’s Hot Chicken.
Oka Japanese Restaurant at Bullard and West avenues closed in November after 18 years in business.
Pho Fresno at Maroa and Shields avenues closed sometime around the beginning of the year. It has been replaced with Sizzle n’ Steam, a Vietnamese street food restaurant that also serves pho.
Pokerito, a poke and sushi restaurant, opened and closed its Chestnut and Shepherd avenues location in Fresno in 2022. The Visalia and Tulare locations are still open.
Ragazzo’s, the Italian restaurant inside The Galleria in downtown Fresno closed earlier this year. It was replaced by Valentino’s Italian Restaurant.
TNT Cheesesteaks closed its Fresno Street and Ashlan Avenue restaurant, but you can still get its food. Keep tabs on its Facebook or Instagram pages to find out when and where.
Wahoo’s closed its restaurant at Palm and Nees avenues in the spring after nearly 15 years (Hummus Republic is now open in the spot). The Wahoo’s location at Campus Pointe near Shaw and Chestnut avenues is still open.
Wayside Noodles closed its Fig Garden Village restaurant when its lease expired. It now operates out of a restaurant at Campus Pointe.
Yosemite Falls Cafe on Ashlan Avenue near Highway 99 closed last spring after 16 years. The restaurant blamed safety, declining sales, rising costs of doing business and government mandates. Its three other locations remain open.
