What’s changing now at Fresno’s Fashion Fair mall

For those who haven’t noticed (and it would be hard to miss), Fresno’s Fashion Fair mall is in the middle of a sweeping transformation.

A decades-old section of the shopping center has come down, new tenants are moving in; even the restrooms are getting a refresh for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Here’s what shoppers can expect right now and in the months ahead.

Crews have cleared the former Weinstock’s, Gottschalks and Forever 21 building on Fashion Fair’s east side to make room for Dick’s House of Sport, an experience-driven concept store that will be a first in California for the chain.

The 120,000-square-foot, two-level Dick’s House of Sport will feature a rock climbing wall, a running track and on-site service pros for equipment fitting and customization, with a grand opening slated for late 2027 or early 2028.

Interesting side note: Before the wrecking crews got to work, a time capsule was pulled from the building. It had been installed during construction in 1970. Instructions were for it be opened in 2070.

New restaurants

Diners can already grab a table at Seoul Meat Co., a sit-down Korean barbecue spot with all-you-can-eat options that opened in June, while Mong Q, a Mongolian barbecue chain, is coming to the food court. A Filipino French fry franchise called Potato Corner is opening its first Fresno-area location at the mall — part of a chain with more than 2,300 stores worldwide but only 21 currently open in the U.S., including seven in California.

New (and existing) retail

Bath & Body Works was slated to move into a larger space across the walkway for its current location; discount fragrance outlet Perfumania is now open just inside the mall’s center entrance, and escape-room franchise Escapology is on the way (though we’ve not seen a firm date).

Temporary porta-potties are set up outside Fashion Fair mall between JC Penny and the food court while the mall works on restroom renovations, on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. Additional porta-potties are set up outside the eastern entrance to the mall. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com What about those restrooms?

The mall’s two main restroom areas are closed for renovations until late September or October. In the meantime, porta-potties are set up outside near the food court and at the eastern entrance and the restrooms inside Macy’s and the mall’s other big stores are still open.

Customer frustration quickly spilled onto social media, with shopper Cinque Webb telling the Fresno Bee that after locating porta-potties outside in the summer heat, “It felt like the plastic was melting from inside that thing.”

The restroom work — the mall’s first restroom overhaul since the 1980s — is part of a multi-year phased renovation that will also bring upgraded landscaping, modern seating, enhanced lighting and new flooring.

Original stories reported by Bethany Clough, Amber Hair, Bryant-Jon Anteola and Joshua Tehee.

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence based on our own originally reported, written and published content. Before publishing, journalists reviewed this content in compliance with McClatchy Media’s AI policy.

This story was originally published August 24, 2026 at 4:44 PM.

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