Beloved Turlock restaurant Latif’s returns. How the 70-year old diner came back from a fire
Since it opened in Turlock in 1952, Latif’s restaurant has lived through the moon landing, the rerouting of Highway 99 and a visit from a future president of the United States.
So, clearly, a little fire wasn’t going to keep it from continuing to witness history and feed generations of Central Valley customers. The region’s quintessential midcentury diner reopened in mid-August in its longtime Golden State Boulevard home after being closed for two and a half years for repairs and renovations.
Back and as classic Turlock as ever, Latif’s by Pedretti has relied on its deep Valley roots to survive and rebuild after the Super Bowl Sunday kitchen fire in 2021 that closed the site.
“I couldn’t go anywhere without having to talk about (the restaurant),” said owner Nick Pedretti, who took over ownership in November 2019. “It’s crazy how supportive Turlock has been to get us back open.”
Pedretti is only the third owner of the business in its more than 70-year history. He bought it from the Stevens family, which had purchased the restaurant from original owner Charles Latif in the 1970s and who helped build up its reputation and famous pie business.
The restaurant actually started next door (in what is now a jewelry shop), before its founder Latif decided to build a new diner in 1959. At the time, Highway 99 ran right in front of the building before it was rerouted and the original road was renamed Golden State Boulevard.
While freeway traffic may have helped the diner thrive in its early days, Turlock residents have been its mainstay ever since as generations of diners have come through its doors. Pedretti said it’s not uncommon to see grandparents, their kids and their kids’ kids all eat together.
Pedretti’s family has its own storied history in the Stanislaus County city. He is the grandson of Ezio “Atch” Pedretti, the well-known Turlock High coach and namesake of the city’s Pedretti Park. To pay homage to his family’s local legacy, Nick added the “by Pedretti” when he took over Latif’s almost four years ago.
Since then, his ownership has been interrupted by a series of unforeseen events. First, three months after his purchase, all restaurants were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, just as indoor dining was restarting in earnest, the fire shut the site down again.
The restaurant has now reopened for breakfast and lunch until 2 p.m. daily. On Sept. 8, hours will expand to early weekend dinner service Friday and Saturday until 7 p.m.
In many ways, it’s like Latif’s was never closed. The regulars are back, Pedretti said, coming in to help brew coffee as the morning crew arrives before doors officially open at 6 a.m. weekdays. Many of the staff are back too, including longtime chef Rodrigo Blanco, who has been with Latif’s for some 30 years.
“We’ve been waiting for more than two years for this,” said Blanco, who relied on odd jobs and other work with Pedretti during the closure. “We’re so happy to be back.”
Also back are the organizations that have called the upstairs banquet room home for years, including the Turlock Rotary, Kiwanis and Quarterback clubs, which have all resumed regular weekly meetings. The room, which can be reserved for private events, was remodeled due to fire damage with new flooring and audiovisual upgrades.
Not back to full force quite yet are Latif’s legendary pies. The niece of longtime piemaker Paula Loomis is handling the bakery and training staff to get back up to speed on the restaurant’s much loved sweet treats. For now, pies are available only on the weekends. Pedretti advised pie fans to get any holiday orders in early this year, as there will be a limited number made and they are expected to sell out fast.
Still, loyal Pedretti’s diners are happy just to have their longtime favorite back. Hilmar resident Kathy Vaz and a friend came for lunch last week, and while they missed out on the pie, they were thrilled to return to its familiar booths.
“I think it’s wonderful to have it back,” said Vaz, who said she has been coming to the establishment for 60 years, since she was a young girl. “It’s always been a great place to eat and it’s good it is family-owned.”
The menu is largely back as well, especially its popular morning fare including the breakfast sliders and breakfast burritos. Pedretti has added some new options to the lunch menu, including the Nashville hot chicken sandwich and bacon habanero burger ($16 and $17, respectively). They’ve reopened with an expanded craft beer and wine selection as well.
The restaurant’s iconic look, and signs, have remained. The downstairs flooring and booths are the same. But the back kitchen had to be completely rebuilt. Also, all of the ceilings, both on its main and upstairs floors, were replaced. To comply with ADA rules, another exit and bathroom were added on the first floor.
But the cinder-block walls and color-block windows are all still there, and the interior is decorated with archival images of the restaurant through the years. Also, don’t worry, the plaques on the chairs once sat on by former President George H. W. Bush and his wife Barbara Bush (he was vice president at the time of the visit and campaigning before he was elected later that year) are still proudly displayed.
Pedretti said he was able to survive the long closure and rebuilding process thanks to help from his family and friends, though he had to take out loans for some expenses. The complicated insurance claim process slowed down the rebuilding effort. But the struggle, he said, has been worth it.
“During (the closure) in my mind I always thought, ‘I’ve got to get this place open again.’ You have those sleepless nights,” Pedretti said. “(Reopening) means everything, it means family again. It’s one of the main reasons to reopen a place like this....A couple of groups have four generations coming back here. It’s awesome to see them showing their kids what they did when they were little.”
Latif’s by Pedretti’s, at 11 N. Golden State Blvd in Turlock, is open 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday (dinners until 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday start Sept. 8). For more information call 209-634-5351 or visit www.latifsbypedretti.com.
This story was originally published August 31, 2023 at 12:27 PM.
