Fresno is the only place this restaurant has two stores. Another is on the way

18 Feb

Fresno is the only place this restaurant has two stores. Another is on the way

The new location will have the same menu, decor, and atmosphere as the other Huckleberry’s locations. (Clovis location featured in photo). Photo Courtesy of Heritage Restaurant Brands

published on February 18, 2022 - 4:22 PM
Written by Ben Hensley

Popular West Coast-based, Southern-style restaurant Huckleberry’s is getting a new location in Fresno this spring.

It will be located at 4360 W. Shaw Ave.

Huckleberry’s, which currently has two locations in Fresno and one in Clovis, has restaurants across all of California, as well as one newly-opened location in Reno, Nevada and another location soon to be opened in Austin, Texas later this year.

The Reno location was the first location to be opened outside of California.

Owner Ray Tavakoli (bottom right) and his staff at the Clovis location, many of whom will assist in training of future employees at the Huckleberry’s location opening in Fresno this May. Photo Courtesy of Heritage Restaurant Brands

San Luis Obispo-based Heritage Restaurant Brands — franchisor of Cool Hand Luke’s and Perko’s Cafe and Grill — is hoping to expand by as many as 60 restaurants in the coming years.

The new Fresno location plans to open in late spring of this year. The franchisee is Ray Tavakoli, who also runs the Clovis restaurant.

“We are targeting mid-May if everything goes perfect,” said Reem Fahoum, vice president of marketing for Heritage Restaurant Brands.

Fahoum said the main reason for opening the new location is due to the draw of Huckleberry’s. Currently, Fresno is the only area in the state with two locations, and adding a third location to Fresno keeps the city ahead of Stockton, who will also be opening a new location — their second — also this May.

“It is quite a bit of a drive to get from one side of Fresno to the other unless you’re going for something specific, so this allows the guests that live on that side of town not to have to travel so far,” Fahoum said.

The new location will be staffed by approximately 40 to 50 employees, a majority of which will be hired specifically for this location.

Hiring will start about two to three weeks prior to the opening of the new location. Employees will be fully trained prior to the new location’s opening.

The new location will have the same homestyle Southern-style cooking and decor, with Cajun-inspired dishes in a dining area set to resemble a classic Mississippi Bayou atmosphere.

With seven more locations planned to open in the coming year, Huckleberry’s is expanding fast across the West Coast. Openings are scheduled in the Napa Valley and Escondido this spring prior to the new location in Fresno.