Victoria’s Mexican Food fast-food chain restaurant, based in San Diego, is moving into the former KFC building at Herndon and Spruce avenues in north Fresno. The KFC permanently closed last fall.
Mago Espinoza, representative of Victoria’s, said the restaurant is aiming to open by early September and plans to offer 24-hour service.
The Mexican fast-food taco chain, owned Santos de la Torre, has three locations in the San Diego area and one in Merced. The Merced location took over the former Beto’s Mexican Food restaurant at 1060 W. 16th St., and is a 24-hour drive-thru. De la Torre Food also owns El Huarache Taqueria in Merced.
“We’re trying to expand and try to bring the flavor to Fresno,” Espinoza said.
This will be Victoria’s first location in the Fresno area. The restaurant had a Visalia location that was open for a year before closing in 2025.
Victoria’s Mexican Food fast-food chain restaurant is going into the old KFC building on Herndon and Spruce avenues in Fresno.
The owners have been in the food industry since the early 1990s, said Espinoza.
While the new Mexican eatery has a very similar name, it has no connection with Victoria’s Mexican Food Restaurant on Jensen Avenue in southeast Fresno, which has a different owner. The two restaurants are independently owned.
Espinoza said the Mexican fast-food taco shop is known for its carne asada fries, super nachos, breakfast burritos and surf-and-turf burrito. The burrito is a loaded specialty item that combines shrimp, carne asada, fries, chipotle, cheese and salsa Mexicana.
Espinoza said the Fresno location was remodeled inside and modified for its equipment, with new paint on the outside. He said since the Fresno location has a drive-thru, it will start as a 24/7 fast-food taco shop like its Merced location. However, the Merced location has only seating outside.
“In Merced, we also have a drive-thru. So, that’s the reason we’re looking for locations with drive-thrus only,” Espinoza said. ” So now with this one, we have seating inside and outside, and with a drive-thru.”
He said the restaurant will have around 15 employees to accommodate being open 24 hours. The Fresno location will offer a menu adapted from the Merced location, focusing on popular items like carne asada fries.
Espinoza said they aim to simplify the menu to avoid overwhelming customers with too many options. It may expand based on demand. But the restaurant will also offer other variety of Mexican dishes like chile rellenos, enchiladas, ceviche, tortas and tacos.