Fresno Bee subscribers last week gravitated to a mix of big local developments, restaurant drama, and accountability reporting that dug into changes shaping our region.
From a long-vacant Clovis property finally getting a plan, to Fresno’s shifting fried-chicken landscape, to a downtown food concept that unraveled fast, these were the stories readers spent the most time with.
Here are the best-read stories from last week, with quick recaps.
A proposal for a 2.45-acre storage facility site in the vacant field north of Shaw Avenue and west of Laverne Avenue in Clovis has been submitted to Clovis’s planning commission. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
Shaw Avenue property in Clovis, vacant for nearly 50 years, will soon be developed
A 2.45-acre parcel north of Shaw Avenue between Fowler and Laverne has sat undeveloped since a 1978 plan emphasized office uses and limited typical retail. Now, Clovis planners will consider rezoning to allow a two-story, 113,576-square-foot self-storage facility with 11 parking spaces, reflecting shifting market demand and recent Shaw Avenue plan changes. Click here for full story.
Bulle, at Herndon and Marks avenues, is one of 15 new restaurants opening in the Fresno area. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com
Surge of new restaurants coming to Fresno area. Here are 17 to keep an eye on
Closings haven’t slowed Fresno’s pipeline of new food spots. Bethany Clough rounds up 17 restaurants planned for Fresno, Clovis and Madera, ranging from upscale newcomer Bulle to multiple taco concepts and coffee expansions. The list spans Korean fried chicken, Yemeni coffee, breakfast-and-lunch, and new locations for familiar brands, with several aiming for openings this spring through late summer. Click here for full story.
Seating for the bakery and coffee shop inside the GrubPub Robert Rodriguez The Fresno Bee
Slow sales and ownership dispute shutter downtown Fresno restaurant after 2 weeks
GrubPub, a planned downtown food-hall-style concept in the State Center Warehouse building on R Street, soft-opened March 9 and shutdown within two weeks. Co-founder James Torres said slow sales and limited cash reserves triggered a funding dispute with partner Josh Valdez, escalating into a legal fight over ownership and compensation. Valdez declined comment while the matter is handled legally. Click here for full story.
The KFC that had been at Fowler and Ashlan avenues in Clovis abruptly closed this week. The building was quickly boarded up and painted over with the KFC sign also removed. Bryant-Jon Anteola The Fresno Bee
More Fresno-area fried chicken restaurants close abruptly. Here are latest to fold
Two more KFCs in the Fresno area abruptly closed and were boarded up — one near Ashlan and Fowler in Clovis and another near Shaw and Brawley in northwest Fresno. The reason wasn’t immediately known, and the franchise operator didn’t respond to inquiries. The closures continue a broader local and national trend as KFC sales lag while competitors and newer chicken concepts expand. Click here for full story.
Exterior of San Joaquin Memorial High School, photographed on July 29, 2025. Nick Fenley
San Joaquin Memorial in Fresno has gone a year without a principal. What’s behind the change?
San Joaquin Memorial High has operated nearly a year without a principal after longtime leader Anthony Goston’s ouster and broader administrative cuts. The Diocese of Fresno says the school is using an interim “distributed leadership” model with responsibilities split among administrators, pending the hiring of a Fresno Catholic School System president. Former staff and an accreditation draft report cited concerns about governance, communication and dysfunction. Click here for full story.
These recaps were produced with the help of AI tools, which summarized previous stories reported and written by Fresno Bee journalists. This content was edited by journalists in the newsroom.
Full stories written and reported by Fresno Bee reporters Leqi Zhong, Bethany Clough, Bob Rodriguez, B.J. Anteola and Nick Fenley.
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Christopher Kirkpatrick is senior editor of The Fresno Bee and Vida en el Valle.