Miriam Martinez, owner of La Jacka, is shown in various moments across the restaurant’s 12-year run — from the early days of La Jacka Mobile to the Downtown Fresno brick-and-mortar location that will close June 30. (Photos via La Jacka’s Facebook page)
• Owner Miriam Martinez cites rising costs, slumping foot traffic and proximity to ICE offices as factors in closure; packaged jackfruit products and new ventures are next
Fresno’s meatless Mexican staple La Jacka is closing its doors June 30 after more than a decade in business — leaving a gap in the city’s plant-based dining scene and marking the end of one of the Central Valley’s early food truck pioneers.
The family-owned business announced its closure in a heartfelt social media post, thanking customers for their support and inviting them to share photos and memories.
“We want this final month to be a celebration of all the memories we’ve created together,” the company wrote in an Instagram post.
A pioneer on wheels
La Jacka is a plant-based Mexican restaurant that serves vegan and vegetarian dishes made using jackfruit — a large tropical fruit that mimics the texture of fibrous cuts of meat including pork shoulder and beef chuck roast when shredded. The restaurant also offers food made with dairy and eggs, running three separate grills to prevent cross-contamination.
Loaded “Jackada” fries, quesabirria tacos, enchiladas and more are made using marinated jackfruit and served with fresh veggies, beans, rice, various salsas and a choice of vegan or vegetarian sour cream.
Owner Miriam Martinez started La Jacka as a mobile food truck in 2014, well before plant-based cuisine had much of a presence in Fresno. She credits that early push with helping seed what has since become a small but growing local vegan community.
“Before there weren’t many options,” Martinez said. “From the moment we arrived, many options started to open up and people started to see that Mexican food is also a strong dish in the vegan world — it’s not just meat.”
Martinez said many longtime customers identify La Jacka as one of the trucks that helped bring veganism to Fresno, and she’s seen the vegan and vegetarian population grow steadily over the 12 years she’s been operating.
From truck to brick-and-mortar
In 2023, she closed the truck and opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant at 700 Van Ness Ave., a former Bitwise Industries property in Downtown Fresno — a move meant to expand the business.The timing proved challenging.
Martinez cited a combination of factors for the closure: rising costs across the board, a broader economic slowdown and a sharp drop in foot traffic she attributes in part to proximity to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office near the restaurant.
“People don’t like to come much to Downtown Fresno,” Martinez said, “and behind me are ICE offices, and people don’t want to come to those areas because they think there could be disturbances.”
She said sales dropped more than 50% this year, and efforts to renegotiate her lease last year were unsuccessful.
“The economy in general is what has affected the business quite a bit,” Martinez said.
Roots in Nayarit
Martinez was born in Nayarit, Mexico’s Pacific coastal state and its largest jackfruit producer and exporter. According to the company’s website, Martinez and her family grow the jackfruit used at La Jacka in Nayarit, and she imports it directly — a supply chain she says allows her to control quality and keep processing to a minimum.
“From the earth to the mouth — that is my motto,” she said.
What comes next
Though the restaurant is closing, Martinez said her work with jackfruit is far from over. She is packaging flavored jackfruit products — asada, al pastor, carnitas, chile verde and birria — for retail sale, with hopes of placing them in grocery stores. She will also continue selling the fruit directly to other businesses.
“Right now what I am ready to bring to market is the food products,” Martinez said. “Asada, al pastor, carnitas, chile verde, birria, or just plain jackfruit for people who want to cook it in their own home or take it already flavored.”
Martinez also operates The Hotspot Kitchen, a commercial kitchen, and is exploring a mezcal and gastronomy tasting concept. She said she is evaluating whether to keep a food truck presence, potentially through farmers markets or catering.
The restaurant will remain open through June 30.