A monument sign marks The Garage, a multi-tenant food hub preparing to open this spring along Fulton Street in Downtown Fresno’s Brewery District. Photo by Gabriel Dillard

A long-underused property at the heart of Downtown Fresno’s Brewery District is preparing to reintegrate into the neighborhood as a food hub designed to complement a cluster of breweries, entertainment venues and event sites.

The Garage, a multi-tenant project on Fulton Street near Chukchansi Park, is expected to open in phases beginning this spring. The development is positioned as an extension of the Brewery District and looks to build on its collaborative culture, offering centralized space for local food operators, encouraging visitors to circulate between nearby businesses.

“It’s Sun Stereo’s little sister,” said Joy Alvarado, a business owner inside Sun Stereo Warehouse who is also a managing partner with The Garage.

The comparison is intentional. Sun Stereo Warehouse, which transformed an industrial building into a collection of small businesses shortly after the pandemic, provided a working model for what could succeed in the district — and what gaps remained.

Alvarado, who owns Joy’s Velitas and Lumiere, the city’s only non-alcoholic bar, said area merchants are working to boost foot traffic even more. What better way than through their bellies?

“What the brewery district needs right now are more food options,” Alvarado said.

Unlike Sun Stereo Warehouse, which focuses heavily on appointment-based businesses due to limited street visibility, The Garage was designed with exposure and accessibility in mind, with units facing outward and sightlines allowing passersby to easily peruse food options at the corner of Inyo and Fulton streets.

The initial lineup of tenants reflects the goal; food vendors slated for the space include Dad’s Cookies, Gator’s Smash Burgers, Las Rancheritas and 1320 Street Foods, with additional units still available. Alvarado said the intention is not to duplicate existing restaurants, but craft a flexible destination where groups can split up and regroup — one person grabbing cookies, another tacos, another burgers — all in the same convenient location.

Alvarado said the model is meant to both benefit the tenants and complement the Brewery District.

 

A project years in the making, the renovation — led by developers Reza Assemi and Jamin Brazil — was largely abandoned for years. Alvarado said the developers sought to retain the building’s exposed brick and industrial features, tying the project visually to nearby warehouses and breweries.

Dad’s Cookies owner Lance Sanchez said the project stood out after years of operating pop-ups throughout the Valley, including in Downtown Fresno and the Brewery District.

Sanchez said he fell in love with the space as soon as he saw it, envisioning an environment similar to a 1950s malt shop, offering cookies, coffee, ice cream and non-alcoholic “dirty sodas,” crafting an option that fits alongside breweries without directly competing with them.

He said that the collaborative spirit of the Brewery District was a major draw — and something he hopes to replicate among local food vendors and bakers.

“That’s pretty rare,” Sanchez said. “We don’t really look at it like competitors. We look at it as a baking family.”

Sanchez said collaboration helps expand the audience for everyone.

The Garage’s timing coincides with increased activity along Fulton Street, driven by Fresno Grizzlies home games, ArtHop, FresYes Fest and regular brewery events. The corner where the project sits has long been seen as a transition point between the Brewery District and downtown’s core.

Sanchez said Dad’s Cookies is targeting a May opening, pending final permits and construction timelines.

Alvarado said activating the space could help smooth the flow of foot traffic during events.

“When you’re going to go see a baseball game, before you get into your car, you can grab a cookie or ice cream or food to go,” she said.

Alvarado added that the goal is to keep people downtown longer — even briefly — rather than having them head straight to parking garages or leave the area altogether.

The Garage will have a preview event at this year’s FresYes Fest on March 21 showcasing some of the future tenants at the site.