A historic Clovis market is reinvigorated as three new restaurants are opening inside
Most people know Peacock Market in Clovis by its big colorful sign that lights up at night.
The market on Tollhouse Road at Sunnyside Avenue has been around for more than six decades — first as a grocery store and then as a convenience and liquor store.
Now it’s reinventing itself once again by creating the Peacock Artisan Eatery and bringing in three new restaurants.
The Pickled Deli recently opened serving sandwiches inside the market. Its other location at First Street and Nees Avenue in Fresno is still open, along with its original Visalia location.
Also open is a second location of The Mug, a coffee shop that started at Champlain Drive and Perrin Avenue.
And coming soon, Heavenly Freeze will be serving scoops of Thrifty Ice Cream with its unique cylindrical shape.
They join Miguel’s Taqueria, the maker of Miguel’s Salsa, which has been running a restaurant serving Mexican food inside Peacock Market since December.
And more eateries are coming in later phases of the project.
The back space with tables and chairs inside Peacock has been around for years. But they’ve upgraded it, adding murals by local artists and moving the shelves of alcohol to the back of the store, noted Nick Huerta of The Pickled Deli, who played a key role in the changes.
There are references to veterans, a nod to Huerta’s 20 years in the Army, and Peacock owner Ron Meyers’ time in the Navy as a search-and-rescue swimmer.
“It was an open space, so it really had to have a vision,” Huerta said. “How can we bring people back to a market that’s been open since the 1960s?”
Their answer?
“It’s all about community,” he said.
They hope people come back to eat and relax. Families are welcome. People are invited to buy food and hang out and chat for a while. Parties can be hosted here.
They are running with what has been The Mug’s motto for years: “Bringing unity to the community.”
They welcome people of all races, religions and political beliefs, said pastor Michael Edgar, who owns The Mug with wife Crystal.
“We believe in bringing everybody together, regardless of who they are,” he said.
The history of Peacock Market
Peacock Market in Clovis has been around since 1960 and for decades was a full union grocery store, Meyers said. His father-in-law John Terzian bought and ran the store. (Terzian, now 91, was also a big part of the community as a co-founder of United Security Bank, and part of the Sanger High School baseball team that was inducted into the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame for winning the 1950 Valley Championship.)
Larger grocery stores such as Save Mart and Vons weren’t around yet. And Peacock was a prime stop for travelers to pick up food, ice, bait and tackle before heading out of town.
“Herndon and Shaw didn’t exist,” Meyers said. “When you used to have to go to the mountains, the only road was Tollhouse.”
The family ran the grocery store until the early 2000s, when they sold the business (but remained owners of the property). A renter turned it into a liquor and convenience store. They took back the business in 2017.
Meyers, who is a 2003 graduate of San Joaquin Memorial High School, came home and married Terzian’s daughter, Megan, who appeared in commercials for the grocery store as a little girl.
Meyers started running the business, doing major repairs and installing the kitchens.
Several restaurants cycled in and out over the years, including Phill’s Corner Grill. Owner Phillip Young died last year unexpectedly. The market plans to post a photo in his honor.
A grand opening of the Peacock Artisan Eatery is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21
In the meantime, they hope people will come back and share memories like they ones they’ve been bandying about — a dad carrying Peacock Market coupons in his wallet, or riding one of the first mechanical bulls around at the Mexican restaurant next door.
“This is old Clovis right here,” Huerta said. “Now it’s just a matter of putting it back on the map.”
Details: The Peacock Market and the Peacock Artisan Eatery are at 1427 Tollhouse Road in Clovis. 559-299-6627.
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This story was originally published September 18, 2024 at 5:30 AM.
