Changes coming to historic Fresno building. Who’s gone, what’s new and what’s planned

The Sun Stereo Warehouse continues to be a work in progress.

The 100-year-plus building at 736 Fulton St. across the street from the Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Co.’s beer garden, was bought and renovated by developer Reza Assemi and tech entrepreneur Jamin Brazil in 2019.

It was a rare commercial project for Assemi, who’s been mostly known for residential and mixed-use projects.

From the start, the plan was to augment the nearby businesses in the Brewery Districts, with retail and restaurant space on the main floor and basement and office space upstairs for business and entrepreneur types.

Interest in the building was almost immediate.

For a time, a bulk of the space was being held for a cannabis dispensary, until it failed to receive one of the allotted permits from the city. There were also plans for a tapas bar (from the couple who originally opened Quail State) and Palo Verde Bakery’s brick-and-mortar location.

Neither came to fruition.

But since its re-opening in 2022 , there’s been a full, and eclectic, mix of tenants including an aerial arts studio, a custom candle maker , a tattoo shop , a clothing boutique, flower market , an arts collective and a studio for a baby photographer. Tioga-Sequoia has business offices in the building, as does the news site Fresnoland.

There has been some turnover. The alcohol-free Bone Dry Sober Bar , for one, held a soft opening in the building before ultimately closing. As of January, however, the building was fully leased , according to its social media, with several new businesses looking to open in the early part of next year.

Here is what’s currently in the works.

Isla Tea Lounge

Alicia Lieu and Makayla Lo were just two best friends living in a downtown loft when they stumbled upon the Sun Stereo Warehouse while out exploring on an ArtHop night.

“We gave ourselves a tour,” Lieu says.

They quickly fell in love with the space, with its urban aesthetic and historic charm. “The brick wall did get us,” Lieu says.

The pair will open Isla Tea Lounge in just over 1,000 square feet of space off the main entrance. They describe the lounge as a community hub — one that adds a non-alcoholic option for when you’re “out and about at night, but don’t want to be at a bar.”

This is not a tea to-go kind of place.

Instead, Isla will offer an array of tea options, including individual pots and flights, done as ”almost an interactive experience.”

“We give everyone what they need to build their own individual cup,” complete with various creamers and sweeteners.

There will also be dessert items infused with tea (matcha pistachio cookies, chai blondies, a chamomile olive honey bar) and a menu of sandwiches, salads and flatbreads, all made in house.

Isla Tea Lounge will be open in the morning and then from 5 p.m. to midnight for the night crowd. It will also continue to make its space available to host business workshops and other private events.

Jungla

The story of how Heval Mora came to be involved in the opening of Jungla goes like this: He got a random text asking for help finding a restaurant location. He didn’t recognize the context of the message, or the number, but, being a real estate agent himself, he called back.

It turned out to be a random wrong number, but the conversation that ensued led to a follow up, and eventually to a partnership in a restaurant lounge, which is currently working to get building permits with the city.

“Sometimes things happen where it just kind of falls into place,” Mora says.

Jungla will open in a spot at the front of the building facing Fulton Street and will have a “chill little vibe” where friends can hang out, Mora says.

As the name implies, it will be full of plants and greenery, thought not quite jungle-themed. There’s been a movement around that kind of vibe, Mora says.

“Plants are a way to ground you.”

They bring in fresh air and help one be at peace, he says.

There will be couch areas and some TV for UFC fights and boxing matches and the like. At some point, it could host live music.

There is an in-house chef working on a small menu of dishes, some finger foods and three or four specialty plates, Mora says. The bar will offer specialty drinks, but it won’t be a craft cocktail spot.

The Basement

Aptly named, The Basement, is slated to open on the bottom level of the Sun Stereo Building sometime in late 2024 or early 2025, pending city permitting.

“It’s underground,” says Eric Santos, a downtown entrepreneur and partner in the bar.

He means that literally.

By his estimation, The Basement will be the only subterranean bar in Fresno.

The bar will take over the entirety of the bottom floor of the warehouse, with the large elevator serving as its centerpiece and focal point. There will be counter top space for mingling and the ability to just walk up and order at the bar.

“It won’t be a club,” Santos says.

If anything, it’s an elevated take on your local dive bar, he says.

That’s something that could be an added asset to the Brewery District. The Rec Room , which sits across Fulton Street from Sun Stereo Warehouse, has a full bar and has been filling that role, but as Santos puts it, there’s “no place to get a Jack and Coke.”

“There’s breweries and there’s high-end cocktails.”

In fact, the whole idea for The Basement started when Santos was working at the warehouse with his tech company HubUX . There was a kind of running joke about how cool it would be to have a bar down in the basement.

Repeated enough times, the joke matured into something real.

“It was really just the opportunity,” Santos says, “the unique space.”

“The space was the catalyst.”

You can follow progress on The Basement @basementgfresno on Instagram.

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