Citing a 116-year old Supreme Court case, an independent hearing officer ruled in favor of the city of Fresno, upholding $6,000 in fines against a northwest Fresno restaurant. The city cited the Waffle Shop twice during a four day period in May — including on Mother's Day. The shop's owner,...
Fresno Releases List of Businesses Fined During COVID-19 Pandemic
Complaints involving social distancing, being open during ordered closure, and price gouging hit Fresno businesses since the city declared a state of emergency on March 18. This list provided by City Hall includes all complaints, notices, and fines: Social Distancing Social distancing complaints: 576 Social distancing noticed/educated: 436 Social distancing...
Fresno City Council Approves Outdoor Dining Plan
Three Fresno city councilmembers — Mike Karbassi, Luis Chavez, and Paul Caprioglio — received unanimous support from their colleagues Thursday for an emergency amendment to let restaurants expand their footprint onto sidewalks, patios, and parking spaces. "Restaurants contribute 16% of our sales tax base and thousands of jobs in this...
Friday Lunch Bunch Shows Support for Shuttered Fresno Eateries
While dine-in portions of restaurants in Fresno remain closed because of shelter-in-place orders, a group of foodies have created their own table experience. In the nearly-empty parking lot at the Villagio Shopping Center at Blackstone and Nees avenues, nearly 30 people brought their own tables and chairs for a luncheon....
Fresno Police Release Waffle Shop Body Cam Video
The Fresno Police Department released body camera footage Monday afternoon showing Tom Miller detained at the Waffle Shop restaurant Sunday morning. The two minutes of footage shows the unidentified officer making his way through a hostile crowd so that three code enforcement officers could serve a citation. The dine-in restaurant...
Waffle Shop Owner Says He’s Returning to Takeout Only
Update 5/12/2020: Waffle Shop owner Ammar Ibrahim announced he is reverting to take-out only, starting Wednesday. The Waffle Shop had opened for dine-in service three days, racking up $6,000 in fines from the city. The next citation would carry a $10,000 fine. Below is Ibrahim's full Facebook post. Original story:...