Restaurateur Dave Fansler says Fresno needs a boutique hotel. He thinks the plot of land beside his seafood restaurant, Pismo’s, and behind Total Wine would be perfect.

Now, the owner of Fansler Restaurant Group is reviving his plan for a hotel and shopping around for an operator to make that happen.

“You couldn’t pick a better spot being next to that shopping center with Pismo’s being there, all the restaurants being there. You have Sam’s Deli in the pipelines,” Fansler said. “All those shops, it would be fantastic walking distance for people staying in a hotel.”

80 Rooms, Full Service on Five Stories

Fansler told the Fresno Rotary on Monday about the hotel idea, according to The Business Journal.

Fansler and fellow restaurateur Mike Shirinian, owner of the Elbow Room and co-host of the radio show “The Restaurateurs,” both spoke at the event.

Fansler envisions 80 rooms spread across five stories on the 80,000 square feet of land on West Nees Avenue.

Fresno officials have told him before that the city supports the idea of going upward, Fansler said.

He wants a hotel with high-end furnishings, a small bar, full service and room service.

He says hotels such as Hilton and Marriott have divisions dedicated to the kind of hotel he wants.

“I’ve got some bugs out there in the hotel community, but I don’t know, it’s up to the first person that comes along,” Fansler said. “I’d like it to be a flag hotel.”

Hotel brands label their premiere facilities as “flag” hotels.

Site Has Been Subject of Contentious Debates

Several ideas have been put forth and fights have occurred over that plot of land. At one time, Fansler wanted it to be the new location for Pismo’s. He said the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to that idea.

When Fansler wanted to rezone the land in 2022 from high-density residential to mixed use, the Fresno City Council delayed the hearing. At the time, councilmember Miguel Arias said he wanted to retain the zoning for housing.

The matter resulted in a lawsuit filed by Fansler against the city and Arias that was dismissed. The land was rezoned in 2023 to commercial mixed-use.

Related Story: New Lawsuit Accuses Arias of ‘Extortion’ for Delaying Fansler ...