Fresno Mazda cut the ribbon on its new showroom last week, revealing a sleek factory redesign to celebrate its first specialized dealership in Fresno.

Fresno Mazda swapped locations with Lithia Subaru in 2019 after Harris Auto Group sold the dealership to Manuel Prieto. Prieto owns five other dealerships, including Sanger Chevrolet Buick GMC and Fresno Mitsubishi.

The celebration, which included ambassadors of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce, Mazda representatives and community supporters, featured everything from valet parking, raffles and giveaways to live music.

“This has been five years in the making,” said Manuel Prieto, president of Prieto Automotive, which owns Fresno Mazda. “Five years ago this day (Thursday, Oct. 24), we actually moved from the old Mazda building to this facility.”

The remodel included employee offices and a new two-level “jewel box” (exterior display room) for showing vehicles. The building transformed from an off-white facade to a striking black exterior, highlighting its signature chrome Mazda logo.

Prieto said the remodel had been in the works since the dealership moved into its current location. COVID-19 initially stalled the project, which was expected to be completed within two years of the dealership moving into its new home.

Prieto said that the remodel represents the brand’s faith in the Fresno market as well as the Central Valley’s urge to shop affordable, “quiet luxury” brands. Prieto added that Mazda’s blend of finish, exterior, paint and overall product makes the cars both affordable and appealing for buyers.

“It’s one of those cars that’s going to continue to go upwards in terms of quality for the customer, affordability and just the look,” he said. “It’s just amazing.”

The Japanese car brand lacked a brand-specific dealership until its ribbon cutting last Thursday. Historically, Mazda was offered as a secondary brand under larger dealerships.

The Mazda-focused dealership aims to offer customers a higher level of customer service and satisfaction, guaranteeing Mazda owners priority service as opposed to the past when Mazda owners would often have to wait behind primary dealerships’ service queue.

The dealership now represents the only true Mazda dealership in the Central Valley, according to Prieto, who added that while other dealerships do offer Mazda lines, the dealership in Fresno stands alone as the true brand representative in the Central Valley.

“It’s a huge investment that we made,” Prieto said. “We believe in the brand; we believe in the new products that they are bringing out.”

The newly remodeled dealership is located at 5499 N. Blackstone Ave., and offers both sales, service and repair. For more information, visit myfresnomazda.com.