Big machines at Modesto’s Vintage Faire Mall. Dave & Buster’s, Dick’s work underway
Yes, they’re really coming. Work on the new Dave & Buster’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods moving into Vintage Faire Mall is in full swing.
Construction crews recently tore down the old Sears Auto Center attached to the former Sears building. The 150,000-square-foot anchor space has been vacant since January 2019, when Sears closed its store in the Modesto mall.
Then, about four months later, city officials announced that Dave & Buster’s, a national chain of entertainment centers, and Dick’s Sporting Goods, which has a standalone store on Dale Road, were going to split the two-story space. Dave & Buster’s is taking over its second floor, while Dick’s will relocate into the ground-floor space.
Vintage Faire Mall spokeswoman Annie Amies said construction on the massive space is now in phase two, which includes renovations to the exterior of the building and the tear-down of the old auto center.
Sears had been an anchor at the mall since 1977, when it opened. The auto center, where generations of Modestans bought their tires and more, has been part of the building since it debuted, according to The Modesto Bee archives.
The new Dave & Buster’s, known for its sports bar atmosphere and abundant arcade games, will be the first in the region. The national chain has other locations in the Bay Area, in Milpitas and Concord, and in the Central Valley, in Roseville and Fresno. The company has been pursuing a expansion strategy of taking over old Sears spaces at malls recently.
Dick’s has been in its own location at the corner of Dale and Sisk roads since 2011. The move should be a significant size upgrade from its current 33,000-square-foot space, which was itself the former home of the now extinct Circuit City.
Meanwhile, HomeGoods, a national home furnishings chain, is expected to move into the former Dick’s space. This would also be the first HomeGoods in Stanislaus County. The closest current locations are in Tracy and Stockton.
Amies said the Dave & Buster’s and Dick’s are anticipated to open at the end of the year.
Elsewhere around the Business Beat:
Two restaurants that opened last year have expanded their hours. You can now get dinner at Bauer’s Downtown Gastropub in Modesto and lunch at First & Main in downtown Turlock.
Chef and owner Tye Bauer’s new downtown Modesto spot opened in late November, serving only lunch. Last month, it expanded to dinner service Thursday to Saturday nights. The dinner menu includes the restaurant’s hearty sandwich and burger menu, as well as entrees like half a roast chicken, braised lamb shank and double-cut pork chops, which range in price from $20 to $26. Bauer is also dry-aging his own rib-eye steaks in house. They run from $45 to $80 depending on size and length of dry-aging.
The restaurant is now open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday for lunch and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. For more information, call 209-312-9558 or visit www.facebook.com/8229thstreetmodestoca.
In downtown Turlock, First & Main has been open since last September for dinner. The Asian-inspired restaurant, from the team behind Bistro 234, is now open for lunch serving its several sandwiches and salads, as well as some popular dinner dishes like the ramen and Korean bowls.
You’ll now be able to sink your teeth into a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich, fried chicken sandwich and veggie burger (which range in price from $14 to $16) as lunch-only sandwiches.
First & Main is open 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch, 3 to 5 p.m. for happy hour, and 5 to 10 p.m. for dinner Tuesday to Saturday. For more information, call 209-620-8760 or visit www.firstandmainturlock.com.
And finally, the new dd’s Discounts moving into Briggsmore Plaza shopping center at the corner of Prescott Road opens Saturday.
An existing dd’s on Tully Road, the first to open in Modesto, is relocating to the site, according to a company representative. That location, at the corner of Tully Road and Bowen Avenue, is closing and employees are transferring to the new site.
The store’s grand opening will include music, clowns, face painters and the chance to win store gift cards.
dd’s Discounts, at 1800 Prescott Road, will be open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 209-571-5472 or visit www.ddsdiscounts.com.
This story was originally published February 6, 2020 at 3:27 PM.
