Tahoe Joe's Steakhouse Chain Reduced to Two Locations After Visalia Closure
The California-based restaurant, once a popular franchise, has seen a significant contraction in its store count.
Tahoe Joe’s Famous Steakhouse, a restaurant chain that originated in California, has closed another of its locations, leaving only two restaurants still in operation. The Visalia outpost ceased operations on Monday, with its status now marked as closed on the company's website.
The chain, which began in Fresno in 1995 under restaurateur David Fansler, has undergone multiple ownership changes. Fansler also founded other Central Valley eateries, including Pismo’s Coastal Grill, Westwood’s BBQ & Spice Co., and Yosemite Ranch.
Tahoe Joe's faced a significant reduction in its footprint after Fresh Acquisitions, which previously owned the chain and operated Old Country Buffet, filed for bankruptcy in 2021. BBQ Holdings acquired the steakhouse brand at auction for $5.2 million at that time. At that point, only five Tahoe Joe’s restaurants remained.
Further closures occurred after BBQ Holdings was acquired by MTY Food Group in 2022. Restaurants in Rocklin and Roseville were subsequently closed, and a San Luis Obispo location had already shut down prior to the 2021 sale.
MTY Food Group, which also owns brands such as Baja Fresh, Cold Stone Creamery, Papa Murphy’s, and Wetzel’s Pretzels, is the current owner of Tahoe Joe’s. The surviving locations are in Fresno at 7006 N. Cedar Ave. and in Bakersfield at 9000 Ming Ave. The original Fresno restaurant on West Shaw Avenue closed in 2016.