The year we said goodbye. At least 30 restaurants closed in Fresno and Clovis in 2023

Pain was on the menu this last year on the Fresno-Clovis restaurant scene.

Restaurants struggled to stay in business amid crushing costs, more than two dozen not surviving. And customers also felt the pain, as they mourned some of their favorite long-time places closing their doors for good.

We said goodbye to Hunan Chinese restaurant after decades in business. Vino Grille & Spirits closed after a new owner struggled to keep it open.

The bad times didn’t spare big chains either. Burger King closed a location in central Fresno, and even Foster’s Freeze fought and failed to keep two locations from closing.

In all, at least 30 restaurants closed in Fresno and Clovis.

There’s no official database that tracks restaurant closures. But The Bee’s restaurant reporter tracks openings and closings throughout the year. And though there are likely some that fell through the cracks, there’s no disputing that this year was a tough one.

It may have even been worse than the COVID-19 pandemic years. The Bee reported that about a dozen restaurants closed in 2021, 16 in 2020, and more than 20 each in 2019 and 2018.

“The average small guy is being squeezed out of this business so viciously by the cost of goods just shooting through the roof,” said restaurateur Lewis Everk, in a story earlier this month about shutting down all three of his Jugo Salad & Juice Bar locations.

Why are restaurants closing?

Food inflation was the biggest injury for restaurants, owners told us repeatedly, followed by the rising cost of paying employees.

Hunan’s manager said the cost of chicken spiked 77% above pre-pandemic levels, for example.

The minimum wage will rise to $16 in California Jan. 1, following years of incremental increases. Starting in April, the state will also require fast-food restaurants to pay $20 an hour. Many restaurants also boost their more experienced workers’ pay when the entry-level pay rises.

Also contributing to the stew of challenges: Climbing power bills, Fresno’s sizzling real estate market that led to higher rents, and businesses that are still recovering financially from pandemic-era troubles, including some still paying back rent.

On top of all that, people ate out less because inflation was hitting their budgets, too.

It all combined into a recipe that was deadly for several dozen area restaurants.

Still, it wasn’t all bad news. At least 40 new restaurants opened in 2023. And inflation and spending on eating out has started to rebound in recent weeks.

But it was too late for many.

What restaurants closed?

Baskin-Robbins closed its West Shaw location Avenue location, the owner deciding to get out when her lease expired, citing rising costs. Another Baskin-Robbins was turned over to a new owner, who turned it into an independently owned Scoops.

Benaddiction closed its original Bullard Avenue location early in the year, after its lease expired. Its Maple and Behymer avenues location remains open with the same rock ‘n’ roll breakfast theme.

Bitwise restaurants Mosaic (a bakery and cafe) and Railway (a pizza place still its first few days of opening) were run by the technology and real estate company. Inside its R Street building, they closed when the company collapsed.

Boston Market closed both its locations in the area this year. The Nees Avenue location was evicted. The company has been struggling with debt and closing locations for months.

Brooks Burgers in River Park closed temporarily, then permanently. A new locally owned sushi place is in the works to replace it.

Burger King closed its Shaw Avenue restaurant near Fashion Fair. It had a one-star rating on review site Yelp.com.

Cheesy Bread House opened in July on West Shaw Avenue near Costco serving cheese and egg boats, but quickly changed concepts. It’s now Leah’s Bakery & Cafe.

CHICK N’ BROS opened in summer of 2022 near Peach and Shaw avenues in Clovis. In a sign of changing trends in Fresno, it’s been replaced with a Hammy’s Smashburgers, scheduled to open any day now. CHICK N’ BROS at Cedar and Barstow avenues is still open.

Doy Grill, the Mediterranean spot on Bullard Avenue and Fresno Street closed temporarily, then permanently. It was the last location in town. Another smashburger place, Smash Bros Bistro, plans to open in the spot.

Famous Ray’s Northside Deli still does catering, but closed its restaurant at Cedar and Barstow avenues. The owner blamed staffing issues.

Foster’s Freeze made headlines this year when two of its decades-old locations closed. The Blackstone Avenue restaurant closed when its lease expired and the new rent was more than the franchise owner could pay. The Bullard and Palm avenues location closed after its lease expired and the property owner decided to bring in a Starbucks.

Genesis Bistro was a restaurant that shared space with a hair salon at Cedar and Nees avenues. It closed in July, citing rising costs of rent, food, worker pay, power bills and more.

The Healthy Vibe at Willow and Nees avenues closed in June.

Honolulu BBQ, a little but popular Hawaiian barbecue spot at Bullard and West avenues closed. It’s been replaced by Mediterranean spot Lily’s Kitchen.

Hunan Chinese Restaurant, a decades-old eatery at Cedar and Herndon avenues, told the public in October that if it couldn’t find a buyer, it would close. And it did. The costs of doing business were just too much.

Javence Pizzeria, known for its carne asada pizza, closed its brick-and-mortar location last summer. Its owners now have a food truck and have been delivering lunch recently.

Jugo Salad & Juice Bar closed all three of its locations. The owner is focusing on business in Nashville, and also said minimum wage and the rising costs of food, gas and more were to blame.

Mediterranean Restaurant at Gettysburg Avenue and Fresno Street — home of bellydancing on weekends — has closed.

Pacific Fried Chicken in southeast Fresno has closed, but the owner continues to do occasional pop-up events.

Phill’s Corner Grill, the barbecue/soul food spot at the Peacock Market in Clovis closed in January. The owner, Phillip Young, died unexpectedly while recovering from knee replacement surgery.

Pita Grill near Fashion Fair mall has closed. Hammy’s Smashburgers plans to open in the spot.

Plant Slayer Express opened last summer serving vegan food inside Strummer’s in the Tower District. It closed earlier this month, citing inflation and difficulty finding staff. Its original location in downtown Fresno remains open.

Reinvent Juicery closed its Fig Garden Village location.

Riley’s Brew Pub in Clovis closed in November, blaming lagging sales. Riley’s Brewing, which makes the beer, is moving ahead with plans to build a new brewery, restaurant and taproom near Highway 41 and Avenue 12 in Madera.

Tasty Thai, a little takeout Asian restaurant in southeast Fresno, closed in May after false accusations of the restaurant serving dog meat took off online and the owners didn’t feel safe. The restaurant later opened a new location with a new name, Love & Thai, at Butler and Chestnut avenues.

Vino Grille & Spirits, a wine store and restaurant with a bar, at Champlain Drive and Shepherd Avenue, closed in June after a new owner tried to make a go of it. He cited declining foot traffic for the closure.

The Waffle Shop on Figarden Drive closed a few months ago. The restaurant made headlines for staying open during COVID-19 closures, but the owner’s Daddy Waffles location remains open.

Yosemite Deli, a former Deli Delicious at Herndon and Milburn avenues, closed. It’s now KaBab Time.