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The original Benaddiction location closed in Northwest Fresno in 2023. Photo via Benaddiction Facebook page<\/p>\n
Benaddiction, one of Fresno\u2019s most acclaimed brunch spots, will close soon due to financial pressures from a forced relocation and declining sales.<\/p>\n
The news was announced on Instagram Friday evening<\/a>, with a closing date of Monday, Jan. 19.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chef James Caples and his wife Natalie ran a Kickstarter campaign that launched Benaddiction as a food truck in 2013. In 2014, the Caples opened their first brick-and-mortar location with a rock-and-roll theme at Bullard and Marks avenues in Northwest Fresno. Their specialized eggs Benedict dishes with names such as Hotel California and the Midnight Toker have garnered multiple awards through the years and current online ratings up to 4.5 out of 5 stars.<\/p>\n The Caples opened a second location at Maple and Behymer avenues in Northeast Fresno in 2021 \u2013 an expansion that backfired when the landlord didn\u2019t renew their lease on the original location in 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we opened the second location the financial math for the loans included the income of two locations,\u201d Caples explained in a post on Reddit<\/a>. \u201cWhen the original landlord forced us to close we had just opened a spot and couldn\u2019t afford to go through another new opening and the new restaurant wasn\u2019t doing enough in sales yet to carry all the debt and overhead.\u201d<\/p>\n As a result, Caples said he endured 60-80 hour workweeks without a salary beyond server tips.<\/p>\n \u201cThe final blow came after the October government shutdown, when sales plummeted 30% compared to 2024,\u201d Caples said.<\/p>\n A 43-day funding lapse resulted in the longest partial government shutdown in history in October, with 670,000 federal employees furloughed and roughly 730,000 who continued to work without pay.<\/p>\n Caples took an unorthodox approach to operating his restaurant, stating on his website<\/a> that customers seeking standard breakfast fare should probably eat elsewhere. He\u2019s also known for matching the energy of online reviews \u2014 responding with snark to snarky critiques, but welcoming genuine feedback via email.<\/p>\n Caples believed that building a welcoming atmosphere involves daily actions of encouraging positive behavior while setting boundaries when that vibe is threatened.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a really fancy way of saying I want a laid-back restaurant where I get to make food that is different from other breakfast restaurants for people who are tired of eating the same food everywhere else,\u201d Caples said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Restaurants across the country have struggled with inflation and labor issues as consumers have changed their discretionary spending patterns. Menu prices were likely to rise if inflation continues, according to a survey from digital restaurant platform Toast.<\/p>\n To protect their margins, nearly half of restaurants (48%) planned to increase menu prices if inflation continues to be a factor, according to the survey<\/a> conducted in spring 2025. <\/p>\n Industry watchers expect more restaurants \u2013 chains and independently owned \u2013 to close in 2026.<\/p>\n \t\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t