A longtime Fresno restaurant that rebuilt after a devastating fire is now expanding, with a second location expected to open in Fowler in about two weeks.
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Zamora’s Carnitas has been serving the Fresno community since 2007, building a following for its carnitas and traditional Mexican dishes.
In November 2022, the family-owned restaurant faced a major setback when a fire severely damaged its original location, on Fresno Street.
The fire started in the kitchen and burned through the roof, forcing the restaurant to close. No injuries were reported.
But the closure did not mark the end of Zamora’s.
The family reopened in 2023 at its current location on Belmont Avenue, across from the Fresno Chaffee Zoo.
Since then, the restaurant has continued to grow.
Owner Beto Gomez told FOX26 that Zamora’s has seen even more attention this year, particularly on social media.
Gomez said his son Tito Gomez began helping the family business after graduating from Fresno State. Tito helped introduce the longtime Fresno restaurant to a new generation of customers on social media.
Now, that growth is taking Zamora’s outside Fresno.
The family is working to open its second location at 228 S. 8th St. in Fowler, taking over the building that was most recently home to Jocy’s Mexican Restaurant.
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Jocy’s recently closed after 20 years of serving the Fowler community, with its final day of business on Sept. 18.
The Zamoras family told FOX26 they hope to open the new Fowler restaurant in about two weeks.
The expansion marks another chapter for a family business that has been part of Fresno since 2007.
After losing its original restaurant to a fire, reopening on Belmont and building an even larger following, Zamora’s is now preparing to bring its food to another Central Valley community.
An exact opening date for the Fowler location has not yet been announced.