Find out which stores, restaurants opening soon and being built in Modesto, Turlock
Welcome to another rousing round of “Hey, what’s that going up over there — and when does it open?”
Many high-profile developments that should be opening in 2020, from the new Dave & Buster’s at Vintage Faire Mall to W. Stuart. C. Steakhouse in downtown Modesto, have already been announced. But work has also started on other new projects that have generated plenty of curiosity, if the calls and emails I’ve received recently are any indication.
Here is a rundown of some of the new and near-complete projects in Modesto and Turlock that should be opening soon.
I’ve received multiple inquiries about the steel beams going up on North Tegner Road in Turlock, between the existing Goodwill and Costco. The framing is for a new Harbor Freight Tools, a discount tool and equipment retailer, that is moving into the space. The location will be the first Harbor Freight in Turlock.
The chain has more than 1,000 locations across the country, including a store in Modesto on Carpenter Road. Plans for the new 16,000-square-foot building were approved by the city in 2018. Maryn Pitt, assistant to the Turlock city manager for economic development and housing, said the store should be open sometime this summer.
Also in Turlock, this time downtown, work is continuing on the old Jura’s Pizza Parlor building at the corner of North Golden State Boulevard and East Olive Avenue. The building is undergoing a complete interior and exterior remodel. The inside walls have already been blown out, and the space appears ready for work to begin.
According to plans approved by the city in 2019, the two-story, 17,000-square-foot building is being renovated to attract future tenants. It does not appear that any new tenants have been finalized, but site plans include the possibility of a restaurant moving into at least one of the spaces.
What’s opening in Modesto
In Modesto, work is nearly completed on a new dd’s Discounts moving into the former Fallas space on Prescott Road. The national department store specializes in low-cost men’s, women’s and children’s apparel as well as home goods. The store replaces the existing dd’s on Tully Road, which has closed. The chain has another Modesto location on Coffee Road. The new store celebrates its grand opening Saturday, Feb. 8.
Also in the same Briggsmore Plaza shopping center, a new Japanese steakhouse and sushi restaurant appears to be opening in the former Four Seasons Buffet spot. The Chinese buffet moved across the street into the much larger old HomeTown Buffet space last year. A banner announcing that Akitaca Japanese is “coming soon” has been hung at the site. The owner has not filed a business license with the city yet, so there’s no information on when it might open at this time.
Elsewhere in Modesto, two stores should be opening soon on McHenry Avenue. Carter’s Pet Mart, a small chain of locally owned pet stores, is coming to the Safeway shopping center in the old Avenue clothing store space. Founded in Stockton in 1991 by Ryan and Kelli Carter, the pet store has a second location in Manteca that opened four years ago.
Ryan Carter, whose family owns the business, said Carter’s is a full-service pet store that sells animals like fish, rabbits, reptiles and exotic birds and offers dog and cat adoptions from local rescue groups. The stores also stock a wide range of pet supplies, including many specialized brands of pet food.
The store is currently hiring and expects to have a staff of about 10 employees. If interested in applying, email Ryan Carter at ryan@carterspetmart.com. Work inside the 6,500-square-foot space is about 60 percent done, and the store is expected to open mid-March or early April.
Just one block north up McHenry Avenue, another space is being prepped for new tenants. The Asian Market, which was destroyed in a fire last June, is relocating to a new location next to Party City. The early-morning three-alarm fire badly damaged five businesses in the Neighborhood Shopping Center on Carver Road and Roseburg Avenue, including the popular specialty grocery store.
Signs for the market, which specializes in Asian foods and spices, have already gone up. According to a recent Facebook post, the relocated market does not have an opening date yet and thanked the public for its support and patience while it rebuilds.
And finally, I’ve received more than a few curious and hopeful calls about the new business on Orangeburg Avenue called Cookies. For those with a sweet tooth, I’m sorry to report it is not a gigantic new cookie store. Instead, the bright blue building visible from Highway 99 is Modesto’s newest recreational marijuana dispensary.
Cookies was started by Bay Area rapper and entrepreneur Berner in San Francisco in 2012. The brand has locations across the state. Its new Modesto spot, in a former paint store, opened Jan. 25 with lines down the block. Something tells me if an enterprising real cookie store opened up nearby, it would do pretty well.
This story was originally published February 4, 2020 at 2:22 PM.
