Kitchen fire temporarily closes longtime Turlock diner Latif’s
A kitchen fire Sunday has temporarily closed the popular longtime Turlock diner Latif’s by Pedretti.
“Everyone is safe and we hope to get up and running as soon as physically possible,” reads a post on its Facebook page, in which it thanks the Turlock, Ceres, Denair, Keyes and Modesto fire crews that responded. It also thanks Turlock police.
The report of the fire at the 111 N. Golden State Blvd. eatery was made about 4:40 p.m. Closing time was 2 p.m.
The first crews to arrive found smoke coming from the roof ventilation, Turlock Fire Department spokesman Capt. Kevin Tidwell said Monday morning.
“When crews made entry, they encountered light smoke,” he said by text. “It was a small fire that was kept in check by the hood suppression system over the cook top. Crews were able to put the rest of the fire out with water cans.”
Damage was contained to the kitchen area, Tidwell said. Firefighters were on scene about three hours.
Opened by founder and namesake Charles Latif in 1953, Latif’s has served Turlock for nearly seven decades. It’s been in its current building, striking for its untouched midcentury design, in 1960.
After more than 60 years of family ownership, Latif’s was bought by Nick Pedretti in November 2019. In a Bee article then, Pedretti said he was intent on preserving both the spot’s vintage look and everyone-knows-your-name feel.
The restaurant known for its homemade pies and retro decor is as much a Turlock institution as the train tracks that bisect the heart of the city.
A gofundme account titled “Supporting Latif’s Staff” was set up late Sunday. “To our Latif’s loving community, it’s been a very tough year and now Latif’s has been hit with another set back,” the write-up on the page says of the fire. “... While insurance gets worked out and the kitchen gets rebuilt, we have the staff to look out for. If you’ve ever been to Latif’s, you know that the staff treats you like family, and if you go often, they become family.”
We will update this story as more information on the fire is available.
This story was originally published February 8, 2021 at 6:48 AM.
