{"id":444316,"date":"2026-08-26T19:16:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T19:16:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/444316\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T19:16:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T19:16:15","slug":"essen-cafe-set-to-open-near-fresno-high-and-trolley-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/444316\/","title":{"rendered":"Essen Caf\u00e9 set to open near Fresno High and Trolley Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

The area near Fresno High School has become a bustling little commercial hub in recent years, with the addition of Ampersand Ice Cream<\/a> and Moto Delicatessen & Bodega<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Now one more new business is headed for the neighborhood: Essen Caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n

The breakfast and lunch spot is in the works for 2026 N. Van Ness Blvd., just north of the ice cream shop and the new pocket park on the corner. It\u2019s taking over the spot most recently home to the multicultural arts organization Dulce Upfront.<\/a><\/p>\n

If all goes as planned, it will open in January.<\/p>\n

Expect a casual little restaurant that\u2019s open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. \u2014 \u201calmost like a French modern cafe,\u201d said Betsy Wiegand.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s the chef and owner behind the business.<\/p>\n

A 2012 Bullard High graduate, she lives within walking distance of the cafe.<\/p>\n

The restaurant\u2019s name, Essen, means \u201cto eat\u201d in Swiss and is a nod to her mom, who is 100% Swiss.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe taught me everything I know in the kitchen,\u201d Wiegand said. \u201cMy parents are both great cooks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wiegand moved to Los Angeles after college and worked for the electric scooter startup Bird, before getting laid off during the pandemic. After, she went to culinary school and became a chef.<\/p>\n

The menu<\/p>\n

So what will Essen serve? A standard American breakfast, but with a twist and elevated, Wiegand said.<\/p>\n

There will be breakfast burritos, French crepes and oatmeal flapjacks with molasses-cinnamon butter.<\/p>\n

For lunch, there may be smashburgers, fried chicken sandwiches or a French ham-and-butter baguette.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best way to describe my food is elevated American, California coastal cuisine,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Assuming it gets its liquor license, Essen will serve natural wines and mostly local beer.<\/p>\n

Coffee, of course, will be on the menu, including espresso-based drinks.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd matcha \u2014 that\u2019s definitely my favorite way to take in caffeine,\u201d she said. \u201cI prefer a matcha latte.\u201d<\/p>\n

And though it won\u2019t serve cocktails, expect some other creative beverages.<\/p>\n

\u201cI lived in Venice Beach for a while, I\u2019ve got some fun drinks that have coconut water in them,\u201d Wiegand said.<\/p>\n

She is now in the process of remodeling the 1,800-square-foot space, which will seat 50 or 60 people.<\/p>\n

Expect vintage armoires, art on the walls and terracotta pots outside. She plans a small patio with seating out front, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be very homey in there,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The Van Ness building and neighborhood<\/p>\n

The building, which has a space for rent next door, is owned by Aris Janigian<\/a>, the author of several novels.<\/p>\n

Over the years, it\u2019s been home to an art gallery, batting cage, dry cleaners and the DeFendis Market, which sold meat and groceries in the 1960s, according to Bee archives.<\/p>\n

The cafe will sit next door to Trolley Park<\/a>, added two years ago on the corner of Weldon Avenue and Van Ness Boulevard.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s really going to round out that whole space there, that whole neighborhood,\u201d Janigian said of the cafe.<\/p>\n

Wiegand is happy to be bringing a new business to the neighborhood she already calls home.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s such a tight community of people,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve just always been drawn to the appeal of the Fresno High neighborhood.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A A building at 2026 N. Van Ness Blvd. near Fresno High School is in the process of becoming a cafe with a liquor license application on the door on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026. The neighborhood is known for its tree-lined streets, small business and walkabout traffic. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com \"A A notice for a liquor license application is posted on the window of a building at 2026 N. Van Ness Blvd. near Fresno High School on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026. The neighborhood is known for its tree-lined streets, small business and walkabout traffic. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com \"Fresno Fresno High School and its iconic Royce Hall building on N. Van Ness Blvd. is photographed on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
\n Related Stories from Fresno Bee<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Bethany Clough<\/a><\/p>\n

The Fresno Bee<\/p>\n

Bethany Clough covers restaurants and retail for The Fresno Bee. A reporter for more than 20 years, she now works to answer readers\u2019 questions about business openings, closings and other business news. She has a degree in journalism from Syracuse University and her last name is pronounced Cluff.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The area near Fresno High School has become a bustling little commercial hub in recent years, with the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":444317,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[112,114,113],"class_list":["post-444316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fresno","tag-fresno","tag-fresno-headlines","tag-fresno-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/444316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=444316"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/444316\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/444317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=444316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=444316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=444316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}