Latest news with #FashionFair
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fire at Macy's in Fresno's Fashion Fair mall prompt evacuation, battalion chief says
A fire was allegedly lit Saturday evening in the Macy's men's bathroom at Fashion Fair in Fresno. The Fresno Fire Department responded to the fire at 6:11 p.m. Crews went into the bathroom and were met with heavy black smoke coming out in the basement floor at Macy's, Battalion Chief Brian Downs said. Crews were able to evacuate Macy's and contained the fire to just the bathroom. Downs said there were some toilet paper dispensers that have been lit on fire and extinguished in one of the stalls. 'We've just been working on trying to eliminate the smoke out of the building,' Downs said. 'We were able to isolate the fire to the bathroom.' Crews opened doors and used fans to get the smoke out of Macy's. Macy's was evacuated for 30 minutes before employees and customers were allowed to go back in. Downs said none of the fire sprinklers were activated, but the fire alarm was. 'Our investigator right now is investigating to find out what the cause is and there's also some surveillance footage around the area that he'll be reviewing to see what information we can about how or who started the fire. 'This is just a good reminder that when the fire alarm goes off, even though many times it's not an emergency, it always has the potential and we're glad that people evacuated.' He said he doesn't remember any recent fire events at the Fashion Fair. Fire crews have responded to alarm activation due to the size and age of Fashion Fair.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
From IKEA to more Trader Joe's, will Fresno ever get its dream stores, restaurants?
Reality Check is a Fresno Bee series holding those in power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a tip? Email tips@ Fresno likes to dream big. The list of stores and restaurants Fresnans would like to see come to town is long and varied. We asked Bee readers what businesses they'd like to see open locations in the Fresno-Clovis area and they responded with everything from IKEA (by far, the No. 1 request) to a Dog House Grill with better parking. The survey was inspired by a slew of recent store closures in buildings that will soon be available to rent. All Joann fabric stores are closing, for example. Forever 21 is closing, and will leave the three-story former Gottschalks space at Fashion Fair mall behind. All three of Sequoia Brewing Co.'s locations have closed (though there is an effort underway to reopen them). We asked real estate professionals how likely they think the businesses on Fresnans' wish list are to ever open anywhere in Fresno. First though, a dose of reality: Times are tough for restaurants and retailers. About 15,000 store locations are expected to close in 2025. A long list of chain restaurants are closing locations and filing for bankruptcy. We could see more closures before we see new businesses coming in to those big spaces. 1. IKEA. This was the No. 1 most requested business on the list, getting nearly three times as many votes as anything else. The affordable Swedish furniture store is hugely popular among Fresnans, but most people drive to Palo Alto or other locations in the Bay Area or Southern California to shop. When asked directly if it would ever come to the Fresno area, IKEA sent a vaguely worded statement via email saying that it has no updates to share at this time, though it continues 'to look for ways to expand in the state of California.' IKEA is increasingly opening locations in small cities where customers can pick up items they've ordered (saving hundreds of dollars on shipping heavy items) such as in Boise, Idaho, and locations where they can sit down and plan out a room with an employee. But most Fresnans want a full-fledged store, complete with the walkway winding through decorated rooms and the cafe known for its meatballs. So do the people who know Fresno real estate and whose job it is to lure retailers to town think one of those will ever come here? Depends who you ask. 'I think that's a good example of our market not just (being) big enough,' said Mark Saito of commercial real estate firm The Saito Company. 'There's just not enough growth.' But Lewis Smith, senior vice president of NEWMARK Retail California said that IKEA probably would come — eventually. It's 'realistic' to expect a full-fledged store somewhere within the Fresno/Clovis/Madera market within the next couple of years, he said. 'With the population growth of the Central Valley, I think we could attract a full IKEA,' Smith said. 2. Cracker Barrel. The country-themed restaurant and store almost came here in 2017 after it signed a lease to move into the Marketplace at El Paseo near Highway 99 and Herndon Avenue. But it later backed out when the deal fell through for undisclosed reasons. If it deemed Fresno worthy once, would it be likely to do so again and actually bring its country-fried shrimp and grits to Fresno? If Golden Corral finally came, could Cracker Barrel? Not so fast, said Saito. 'They're not doing very well, chain-wise,' he said. Cracker Barrel closed its Sacramento location last April after six years, along with several others nationwide. The company expects to open just two new restaurants in 2025. Restaurants in California are hurting, Saito noted, citing the general cost of doing business in the state, including the cost of labor and utilities. And when companies are hurting, they're not thinking about opening new locations. 3. Nordstrom. The Fresno-Clovis area has two discount Nordstrom Rack stores, but that's not what locals want. They want a full Nordstrom store with its luxury brands and high level of customer service. But don't hold your breath, Fresno. 'We don't have that huge affluent population that would sustain a Nordstrom,' Saito said. He also noted that Nordstrom is struggling in bigger cities right now. Nordstrom closed its downtown San Francisco flagship store and two of its headquarters offices, reporting a $39 million loss in the first quarter of 2024. Though sales have rebounded, the company is still on uneven ground and recently went private. It did not open any new Nordstrom stores in 2024 and is not planning any in 2025 — only Nordstrom Rack stores. 4. Daiso. This retailer — sometimes referred to as a Japanese dollar store — sells affordable home goods and fun items, including socks, snacks, mugs and more. There's already a Daiso in Visalia (Central Fish Co. in downtown Fresno used to sell the products on its second floor, but not anymore). New Daiso locations are coming to Modesto, Arroyo Grande and Salinas this year. Real estate broker Smith thinks this one has a good chance of opening in Fresno soon. 'I think you'll see Daiso and MINISO stores open within the next year,' he said. MINISO, a similar brand owned by a Chinese company, recently opened a store in Fashion Fair mall. 5. H Mart. This is a popular Asian grocery store with 84 locations nationwide, including multiple locations in the Bay Area and the Los Angeles area. It's often described as a 'cult favorite' and was popularized in the best-selling book 'Crying in H Mart.' Another similar concept store mentioned by Fresnans was 99 Ranch Market. Could Fresno, with a 12% Asian population, attract either? Maybe, said Saito. 'It would be good,' he said. 'I think we could definitely see a 99 Ranch.' But, there are probably better locations the retailers would look at first, with higher incomes and more people that meet the store's demographics, he said. 6. Sweet Tomatoes. This healthy buffet was a favorite of Fresnans when it was open. It closed all its 97 locations in 2020 after its parent company went bankrupt. But like some kind of hardy perennial, Sweet Tomatoes sprouted again when 'raving fans' bought the rights to the brand and reopened its first location in Tucson, Arizona in April. The new owners say they want to reopen more in smaller locations than the original restaurants. But seeing as they haven't gotten beyond opening one so far, Fresnans could be waiting a long time. And it would have to be a new location. The former Sweet Tomatoes spot on First Street in north Fresno has been turned into offices. 7. Topgolf. This is a sports entertainment complex with a bar, restaurant and multi-story driving range. The high-tech golf game involves balls with sensors in them that track accuracy and distance. It's 'realistic' to say that a Topgolf could open in the area within the next couple of years, Smith said. Topgolf already has a location in Sacramento, and several in the Bay Area and Los Angeles — even smaller cities such as Boise, Idaho. 8. Another Trader Joe's. This town loves Trader Joe's. It's got one in Clovis and one almost on the same latitude in north Fresno. Some customers are still salty about the store leaving its centrally located spot years ago near Blackstone and Barstow avenues. People in both Fresno and Clovis said they want more Trader Joe's in the survey. Last summer, the internet was buzzing with rumors based on conversations with employees about a Trader Joe's potentially opening as soon as this year in northwest Fresno. But there's been no indication of any concrete action on a new store there. The company is opening three stores this year in California, all in the Los Angeles area. When asked directly, Trader Joe's told The Bee, 'At this time, we do not have plans for a new store in Fresno.' The company is growing, but carefully. The email in its email referred people to its podcast 'Inside Trader Joe's' and the Oct. 21, 2024 episode, 'ICYMI: How Do I Get a Trader Joe's in My Neighborhood?' The hosts talk about population density, but also how social media campaigns to bring the store to town generally don't have an impact. Saito, from the Fresno real estate company, imagines Trader Joe's is probably at its maximum number of stores in the Fresno area. 'There's two in Fresno, and I think that's going to be the high point,' he said. 'It would be nice (but) ... they're not going to be putting another one in downtown Fresno or Shields and Blackstone.'
