Triangle Drive-In is planning to bring its '50s nostalgic look to a new location in Tulare, similar to this location in Clovis. Image via Facebok

Triangle Burger will be leaving the Visalia Mall and relocating to Tulare by the beginning of 2019.

Construction crews are currently rehabilitating a burned-out drive-thru building at 1330 E Tulare Ave. to accommodate the ‘50s-style diner.

The new location will better evoke the eatery’s nostalgic décor, including ‘50s-era posters, jukeboxes and checkered tile floors, according to owner Zahi Saleah.

“In Visalia, we were inside the mall. That was a bad move because you really don’t have your own identity,” Saleah said.

The company operates in the mall on a month-to-month lease. That location will close once the new restaurant is open. Business was not all that great, as Saleah put it. At the mall, one person might get pizza and another Chinese food, he said. Saleah wanted to build a family atmosphere, which he felt was lacking.

“It’s a family-dining experience,” he said. “Our food is great and that’s what kept us going over there, but the main part of our concept is our look.”

The move to Tulare has taken some time, as the 2,216 square foot building that most recently used to be a Bob’s Drive-in was nothing more than a shell of a building, according to Saleah.

Being off Highway 99 gives the burger joint more exposure to travelers. The time spent at the Visalia Mall allowed people to get to know the brand, which has exploded in Fresno area from one to four locations in the past few years.

“We built a following over there,” Saleah said of the South Valley. “Once we get that message across to people who would visit us in the mall they will be able to get the whole experience with the nostalgic look.”