So long, farewell: The major Modesto, valley business and restaurant closings of 2019
The end of the year — let alone an entire decade — always comes with a little sadness.
This year saw many longtime local businesses say goodbye for good, and national stalwarts shut down their large big box stores.
The so-called “retail apocalypse” was felt in the Central Valley as some well-known national chains faced bankruptcy. Other long-running businesses said farewell. A look at what left us in 2019.
Business Closures
Sears: The iconic American company closed its Modesto location in Vintage Faire Mall the first week of January 2019. Sears had had a store in Modesto for 80 years, first downtown and then at the north Modesto mall when it opened in 1977. The national chain’s bankruptcy forced the Modesto outlet to close. But, good news, its two-story anchor space at Vintage Faire is being taken over by a Dave & Buster’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Kmart: Owned by the same parent company as Sears, Kmart faced the same bankruptcy woes. The Hatch Road Kmart location in Ceres closed at the same time as Sears, in early January. Then the location on Maag Avenue in Oakdale closed this month. The Ceres and Oakdale locations had been open since 1976 and 1991, respectively.
MB2 Raceway: The indoor go-kart racetrack in Century Center opened in 2016 in the former Gottschalks spot. But after the east Modesto shopping center was bought by new owners last year, they could not come to an agreement on the lease. It shut down in January.
Payless ShoeSource: Another national chain to bite the dust this year. In February the company announced it was closing all of its 2,100 stores in the United States and Puerto Rico. The chain had two stores in Modesto, at Vintage Faire Mall and Plaza Parkway, and one location each in Turlock, Atwater, Merced, Manteca and Tracy.
Uno Pizzeria & Grill: Deep-dish got deep-sixed as the Chicago-style pizza chain closed its east Modesto location in April. The site had been open on the corner of Oakdale Road and Briggsmore Avenue since 2007. But it was a short closure for the space, which Uno’s franchise owner John Ismail transformed into the new independent restaurant, Wildfire Public House, which opened in June.
Dos Coyotes Border Cafe: The southwest regional chain, popular in the Sacramento area, came to the region for the first time in late 2017. But the site in Turlock’s Monte Vista Crossings failed to catch on and closed in April after a little more than a year in business.
Torii Japanese Restaurant: First opened in Modesto’s Century Center in 1983, the Japanese sushi and teppanyaki restaurant was a cult favorite in Modesto for its food, drinks and karaoke scene. In May, new owners bought the restaurant and closed it for much-needed renovations. The site has been closed since, but its owners vow to reopen soon so hopefully it will be on the 2020 opening list instead.
Beckles Candies & Gifts: Parting was such sweet sorrow with this longtime downtown Modesto candy shop. Beckles first opened in 1986 under a different name, and since 1988 had been run by Modesto chocolate maker Eddi Marie Julian. But the death of her husband, changing traffic patterns and difficulties with her landlord forced her to close in June.
Shoe Box: A Vintage Faire Mall institution since 1986, the independent family owned shoe store closed for good in June. The shop specialized in personalized customer service and care. At one time it had two stores in the mall, Shoe Box and Shoe Box For Men on the mall’s second floor. But online competition and declining retail trends made it too hard to keep going.
Rancho San Miguel Markets: The Ceres supermarket on Hatch Road first opened in 2012. But the Latino grocery chain, which is owned by parent company Food4Less, had an enormous 63,000-square-foot space to fill which ultimately proved too large. It announced its closure in June.
Marie Callender’s Restaurant & Bakery: Open since 1983 in northeast Modesto on Sylvan Avenue and Coffee Road, Marie Callender’s was another victim of its national parent company’s bankruptcy. It closed abruptly in August, shocking its longtime customers and employees. In October, a new franchisee from out-of-state promised to reopen in the same location by the holidays. But he has since dropped out of the project and a new local franchisee has taken over, delaying its reopening. The restaurant is now slated for an early-to-mid-January opening.
Nor Cal Performance Golf Center: The only dedicated practice facility for golfers in Modesto closed unexpectedly in November. The north McHenry Avenue site had a driving range and putting and chipping greens. It had been home to golfers for more than a dozen years, first for a decade as the McHenry Golf Center and then for the last three years under a new name and ownership.
Love’s Safe Driving School: Another longtime Modesto business to close its doors this year, Love’s had been teaching valley students how to drive since 1992. Started by its namesake George Love, a former California Highway Patrol officer and deputy, and his wife, the school was known for its heart-shaped logo. But in mid-December it abruptly posted a message on its answering machine saying it had closed effective immediately.
Forever 21: Another big one bites the dust thanks to national bankruptcy. The fast-fashion brand announced in October that its massive, three-story Vintage Faire Mall site was on the chopping block, and then confirmed its closure a month later. The store has been holding a going-out-of-business sale since, and is expected to shutter for good at the end of the year.
This story was originally published December 30, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
