Which Modesto-area business closed in pandemic is most missed? How Bee readers voted
Absence makes the heart, and stomach, grow fonder in Modesto.
As the pandemic prepares to enter its third year, Modesto already has seen a number of notable business closures. More than a dozen businesses, from restaurants to retailers, have shut their doors for good in the last two years, a sad testament to the ongoing global health crisis’s impact on the local economy.
From national chain restaurants to locally owned mom-and-pop shops, the Modesto area has lost some valued businesses amid the pandemic.
But which business will you miss the most?
We asked readers to pick which pandemic closure they were saddest to see go. The results of The Modesto Bee’s recent, non-scientific poll are in, and the winner might make you hungry.
The Top 5 finishers of the online survey for the most missed pandemic business closure were:
1. Fuddruckers, Modesto
2. Shangri-La China Bistro, Modesto
3. Laser Quest, Modesto
4. Monsoon Indian Restaurant, Modesto
5. Pier 1, Modesto/Turlock
The most missed business that closed during the pandemic in the region was the build-your-own-burger chain Fuddruckers, which garnered 19% of your votes. First opened on north McHenry Avenue in 2007, the restaurant served the self-proclaimed “World’s Greatest Hamburgers” and was known for its expansive toppings and produce bar.
But Fuddruckers became an early pandemic casualty when parent company Luby’s Inc. was forced to close many of its locations shortly after COVID hit, and eventually sold the chain. The sale didn’t come in time to save the Modesto location, which was gone by summer 2020.
Following close behind Fuddruckers, with 17% of your votes, was the Shangri-La China Bistro. The independent Chinese restaurant on McHenry Avenue went dark last January. Owner Michelle Ho had run the restaurant with her husband, David Lau, since 2009.
The closure was at first meant to be temporary, but by spring, Ho said it became too difficult, so the even more difficult decision to close permanently was made.
“My customers, we were more like a family. I told them all my problems. They told me they didn’t want to see me leave. I really appreciated all of them,” she said in April about the hard choice to close. “Now when I walk inside my restaurant, I feel sad. I look at the empty rooms. Everybody feels sad, but it’s a good decision for me.”
Rounding out the Top 3 is Laser Quest, with 11% of the vote. The north Modesto laser tag facility had been a place for family-friendly fun for more than 20 years before its closure in September 2020. Its parent company said the pandemic slowdown, and temporary closure at the start of the pandemic, forced it to sell and close locations.
While unfortunately these probably won’t be the last business closures we see amid the pandemic, the good news is several notable new businesses are expected to open this year. They include Dave & Buster’s at Modesto’s Vintage Faire Mall and Bay Area favorite Nation’s Giant Hamburgers on McHenry Avenue.
