Moukhtarian said it\u2019ll be nothing like a cafeteria.<\/p>\n
\u201c We want to make it more elevated for all the employees that work there, and even the visitors that come to the city to get paperwork done,\u201d Moukhtarian told The Bee during an interview Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Moukhtarian has operated Cracked Pepper Bistro for 19 years. He returned home after culinary school, to where his family emigrated from Lebanon.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe ended up in Fresno; my parents had a shoe repair shop. So Fresno is home to me,\u201d Moukhtarian said.<\/p>\n
The full menu from his Cracked Pepper Bistro in north Fresno won\u2019t make it to City Hall. One reason, Moukhtarian said, is to keep the menu affordable. Although not dictating specific food or price points, the city lease calls for affordable options. He is planning items ranging from $5 to $14.<\/p>\n
Moukhtarian said he is still developing the menu, but it will include sandwiches and breakfast items \u2014 bagels, chili bread and breakfast burritos.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to offer them really nice drinks and lattes and cappuccinos \u2014 and even some grab-and-go foods, and also some hot food that we\u2019re going to be preparing on the premises,\u201d Moukhtarian said.<\/p>\n
One favorite will also be there: \u201c The bread pudding,\u201d Moukhtarian said, \u201cis definitely going to make it to the menu.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moukhtarian did not offer an exact date for when he moves in. The lease estimates a Nov. 1 opening.<\/p>\n
The public, as well as City Hall employees, are welcome.<\/p>\n
![\"Vatche](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/FRS_EPZ_CITYHALL_COFFEE_02.JPG\" "\\"FRS_EPZ_CITYHALL_COFFEE_02.JPG\\"")
Vatche Moukhtarian, owner of Cracked Pepper Bistro, shows fresh roasted coffee beans at his roasting facility Tuesday, June 23, 2026 in Clovis. Moukhtarian hopes to open a cafeteria in Fresno City Hall later this year offering a full cafeteria plus coffee drinks. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com The coffee<\/p>\n
Cracked Pepper Caf\u00e9 will also feature its signature Sanctuary Coffee brand.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ll be getting fresh coffee that\u2019s roasted weekly and not something that\u2019s been sitting on a shelf for a while,\u201d Moukhtarian said.<\/p>\n
Moukhtarian imports his coffee, mostly from Central and South America. All coffee is 82 points or more on the cupping score<\/a> \u2014 a measurement system on a 100-point scale to determine quality.<\/p>\n He already has his City Hall coffee menu in mind.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to focus on classic stuff, cappuccinos, lattes, macchiatos, special shots. We\u2019re not going to venture out a huge menu. … We\u2019re going to focus on high-quality coffee that people enjoy, and it\u2019s going to be in small production,\u201d Moukhtarian said.<\/p>\n The initial three years of the lease<\/a> will not require Cracked Pepper Caf\u00e9 to make any rent payments. Both parties have a mutual option to extend the lease for a fourth and fifth year. If so, rent will be $1,464 a month in Year 4; and $1,507 a month for Year 5. The city will cover utility fees, including electricity, water and sewer.<\/p>\n The city will renovate the space, spending up to $615,000 over two years, City Manager Georgeanne White told The Bee. That includes almost everything \u2014 cabinets, countertops, sinks, lighting, refrigerators, ovens, ice machines, tables and chairs.<\/p>\n That does not mean there is no risk for Moukhtarian.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not the best time to (open a restaurant) in the current situation,\u201d Moukhtarian said. But, he says there is opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cDowntown has always been lacking stuff, so I think going forward, you\u2019re going to see a lot more businesses opening in downtown Fresno, because it\u2019s such a big market. You have a lot of people living in or working in downtown Fresno, so I\u2019m excited about that.\u201d<\/p>\n He plans to hire 10 employees downtown.<\/p>\n Generally, the caf\u00e9 will run 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on days City Hall is open. The eatery could stay open longer on nights when the government has night meetings.<\/p>\n The city council still has to approve the contract at its Thursday meeting. This is expected. The mayor\u2019s office already issued a news release about Cracked Pepper Caf\u00e9 coming.<\/p>\n ![\"Bags](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/FRS_EPZ_CITYHALL_COFFEE_03.JPG\" "\\"FRS_EPZ_CITYHALL_COFFEE_03.JPG\\"")
Bags of green coffee beans ready for roasting are seen at Vatche Moukhtarian’s coffee bean roasting facility during a tour Tuesday, June 23, 2026 in Clovis. Fresno City Hall’s cafeteria has been a vending machine facility since the pandemic but Moukhtarian hopes to open a full cafeteria plus coffee drinks later this year. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com About the lease<\/p>\n The future location of Cracked Pepper Caf\u00e9 at Fresno City Hall is under construction. It may open in the fall. DAVID TAUB dtaub@fresnobee.com
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