Businesses closing their doors in Fresno County

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Several businesses sit empty across Fresno County, with many owners citing the economy as the reason for their closure.

Clint Olivier with BizFed Central Valley, which advocates for businesses, says inflation is a big issue for companies.

“When it becomes more expensive to operate that business, they have to find places to cut or let people go, ultimately they’ll have to close their doors,” Olivier said.

In September, at least three Fresno County businesses shut down-Fulton Street Coffee in downtown Fresno,

The Brunch Bar in Clovis and Starving Artists Bistro in Northeast Fresno.

Sacred Heart Coffee now sits where Fulton Street Coffee did, and The Brunch Bar has been replaced by Rustika Cafe and Bakery, which is set to open next month.

Meanwhile, the Starving Artists Bistro is vacant as the owners noted they’ve struggled with restaurant regulations, food and staff shortages, and inflation.

“When they receive a delivery, that delivery costs more because transportation fuels cost more,” Olivier explained.

“In the state of California, we’re also dealing with an ever-increasing minimum wage.”

In October, after 40 years of service, DiCicco’s Italian Restaurant closed its northeast Fresno location.

A sign on the restaurant’s door pointed to a turn in the economy.

“The state government says, ‘You’ve got to pay your workers more,’ and they either deal with it or they close their doors,” Olivier said.

If a business is struggling or looking to open or scale up, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) can help.

“The small business administration funds a network of organizations, our resource partners, that provide free consulting, training and technical assistance to businesses,” said Dawn Golik, the director of Fresno SBA.

The SBA says it’s essential to support those small businesses.

“Small businesses are really the engine that is powering the economy right now,” Golik said.

“They employ tremendous numbers of people. They put a lot of money back into the local economy.”

She added that Small Business Saturday on November 30th is a great time to show support for local small businesses.