Longtime downtown Modesto staple closes, makes way for new place from a familiar face
If you’ve hung out in downtown Modesto anytime in the last 30-some years, you’ve probably run into Paul Tremayne.
The longtime and prolific restaurateur was at the forefront of downtown Modesto’s renaissance in the 1990s and early 2000s. He co-founded Tresetti’s with the late Mitch Maisetti and his wife, Tammy (the fine dining spot’s name is a mingling of their last names), in 1994, back when the J Street corridor was more ghost town than dining destination.
Over the decades, Tremayne — instantly recognizable by his blond-now-silver towhead and preference for shorts regardless of the season — has owned a number of downtown establishments from Tresetti’s World Caffe to Fuzio Universal Bistro, Piccolo Benni’s, Preservation Coffee & Tea and Concetta.
But Concetta shut its doors last weekend after 23 years, closing the chapter on Tremayne’s full-service restaurants downtown. Concetta was first opened on J Street in 1999 as Pizza Concetta, a gourmet pizza-by-the-slice place that transitioned more than a decade ago into a tapas restaurant specializing in small plates.
After nearly three decades of running multiple restaurants, Tremayne has decided it’s time to slow down. The challenging environment caused by the fallout of the pandemic, including ongoing supply chain and inflation issues, certainly didn’t help.
“I’ve been doing the same thing every day for 35 years, and more than 28 years of having more than one restaurant, and that’s kind of a demanding thing. I’ve been looking for ways to make a few changes and work less,” said Tremayne, who turned 60 this year.
While he still owns Preservation and plans to continue his retail wine business, Tremayne said he’d been looking to sell Concetta for the past year. Then about six months ago, he found the perfect successor. The Concetta space has been sold to Patrick Chinn, the general manager of The Market at La Comisaria on Seventh Street and its connected nano craft brewery, Persuasion Brewing.
Chinn, who parted ways with The Market last May, is bringing over his longtime assistant, Sandra Rios, who was with him at the specialty grocery store. They will now open their first official restaurant together in the Concetta space, with Rios serving as general manager and chef.
Plans are coming together quickly for his new Chinn’s International, a lunch and dinner spot that will feature an eclectic menu reminiscent of The Market’s eclectic offerings. The menu will include Mexican, Chinese, pizza and traditional American fare. He also plans to sell high-quality cuts of meat, house-made sausages and other of The Market’s former favorites, as well as stock a larger craft beer selection, again just like The Market.
In short, if you liked The Market, which served sandwiches and specials, you’ll probably love Chinn’s International. And if you haven’t been to The Market, which you might not have, given its industrial, other-side-of-the-tracks location, you are probably in for a treat.
Chinn said he’d never dreamed of opening his own restaurant. But after parting ways with The Market, people kept saying he should talk with Tremayne, and the deal came together organically.
“Paul, he’s a legend,” Chinn said. “It’s a great honor to take over from him. Someone came by recently and said I have big shoes to fill. And I do. But that’s also why we’re doing something completely different from Concetta.”
Expect a menu filled with authentic Mexican dishes from Rios, who grew up in Mexico and moved to Modesto 15 years ago. But then there also will be chow mein, dumplings, poke, burgers and more. Chinn’s lunch menu will primarily be sandwiches, and then will transition to the dinner menu in the evenings.
The space is currently under renovation, but Chinn has set an aggressive timeline for opening. He hopes to be ready before Christmas. The restaurant will take up about two suites of the former Concetta space, which started as a small, roughly 25-seat space, and has since expanded to three suites.
Tremayne will remain in the third suite temporarily to house his new Vino Concetta wine shop. Eventually, he hopes to find his own new permanent spot for his retail wine shop downtown.
One thing both men have in common is their personal touch with customers. And though Tremayne has closed Concetta, he still plans to be downtown all the time at either Preservation or his wine business. He is also an enthusiastic supporter of the Prospect Theater Project, where he serves as board president, and other downtown arts projects.
After witnessing the ebbs and flows of downtown, from its 1990s and early 2000s highs to The Great Recession lows, arrival of the Gallo Center for the Arts and everything in between, he’s happy to start his next phase.
“It’s like surfing, you ride the waves. ... It was a fun career choice, but it’s time for a little change,” Tremayne said. “Being a people person, it’s been a great way to see lots of people all the time.”
For more on Chinn’s International, follow www.instagram.com/patrickchinn11. For more on Vino Concetta, call 209-303-0503.
This story was originally published December 5, 2022 at 8:00 AM.
