Take a stroll down the 100, 200 and first part of the 300 blocks of East Yosemite Avenue.

This is where you will see the future of downtown Manteca driven not by consultants, planners, and those that want to imprint on the Family City what has popped up in revitalized suburban Bay Arras downtowns such as Pleasanton and Livermore.

There is a thriving market, Super Altena that does a brisk business in staples as well as ready-to-eat Mexican food to go. Across the parking lot in the former hole-in-the-wall A&W drive-in that for years housed a Thai restaurant there are plans to open the seafood restaurant dubbed Las Delos Camaromes. Next door is the United Paleteria y Neveria ice cream shop. Almost directly across the street is Panderia La Laurita, a Mexican bakery that has been in business for more than two decades.

This is also where you will find other dining spots such as Hats & Boots as well as the Iron Horse Deli. Specialty stores include Rocky Mountain Chocolate, Fashion Health Care Apparel, German and German Glas Werks. Also gracing the street the 2½ blocks are American Furniture, Spin Cycle, Leonard Photography Bank of America, Financial Center Credit Union and the American Legion Hall.

And the biggest business in terms of grandeur is a work in progress — the Veranda Banquet & Event Center.

And just like the grand dame of downtown — the El Rey Theater — that opened on the site in 1937 and Kelley Brothers Brewing Co. & Brickyard Oven Restaurant that opened there in 1998, the Veranda promises to serve as an imposing and impressive calling card for downtown Manteca.

 The Veranda is billed as a modern venue with touches of elegance for weddings and receptions. They also can handle corporate events.

The downtown Manteca location will feature two halls and the ability to accommodate 700 plus guests. It also includes a rooftop terrace garden that promises to be one of the most stunning venues around.

They will offer authentic Indian cuisine prepared by master chefs using clay ovens. That is addition to American and international cuisine prepared in their commercial kitchen featuring brick ovens.

Head west across Main Street and you will find long-time standards like Tipton’s Manteca Bedquarters, and Century Furniture among others. You will also find more than a few venues that share a common denominator with the higher traffic concerns on East Yosemite Avenue — Habibi’s International Market & Deli, India Merchandise, Fiesta Place, and El Forastero Mexican Restaurant. 

Besitos with its ever changing menu also fits into the emerging narrative.

The narrative is fairly simply: Downtown Manteca is enjoying success with a strong infusion of businesses that literally cater to ethnic tastes mixed with traditional American small town “downtown main stays” such as five furniture stories, seven financial institutions, and a liberal collection of services and specialty shops.

Downtown has been changing into a destination large segments of the community support.

To take it to the proverbial next level means building on what is working and not trying to remake Manteca as it is were Pleasanton, Livermore, Lodi, or even downtown Turlock.

This is not your grandfather’s downtown but it is certainly the downtown that represents a growing cross section of Manteca values and tastes.

Raising Cane’s now

hiring in Manteca

Raising Cane’s is gearing up to blitz Northern California.

And the beachhead is Manteca that— along with Stockton and Modesto — will be among the first locations among 20 to 30 to open this year and next.

Construction is well underway on the Manteca location on East Yosemite Avenue between Pandera Bread and the bowling center where the first Manteca McDonald’s once stood.

Other Northern California cities in line to get Raising Cane’s later this year or in 2022 are Sacramento, Roseville, Citrus Heights, Berkeley, Vacaville, and Clovis among others.

Various positions have already been posted for the Manteca location as well as Modesto and Stockton.

A typical Raising Cane’s can employ upwards of 55 people. The seven-day-a-week stores typically open at 9:30 a.m. and will close between 1:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. depending upon the location.

Raising Cane’s has gained a reputation as a “cult-fave” fast food restaurant due to its small menu and focusing on doing one thing and doing it very well. That “one thing” for Raising Cane’s is juicy, crunchy, fried-to-order chicken fingers made from chicken breast tenders with a dipping sauce that those who have visited locations in the South contend is the best they’ve ever had.

 The proprietary dipping sauce is rumored to be a blend of mayo, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce with Creole seasoning.

Raising Cane’s has a limited menu with five box combos including a kids’ combo. The box combo dubbed as “our favorite” includes four chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, one Cane’s sauce, Texas toast, coleslaw, and a 22 ounce drink.

There are five extras on the menu — a chicken finger, Cane’s sauce, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, and coleslaw. You can also order chicken fingers in bulk with 25, 50, 75 or 100 fingers.

Besides soda drink they have freshly brewed sweet tea, unsweet tea, and freshly squeezed lemonade. You can also buy the sweet tea, unsweet tea, and lemonade by the jug.

The 3,247-square-foot building with a drive-thru lane features a covered 1,194-square-foot outdoor dining patio — the largest covered outdoor dining yet in Manteca.

Boot Barn plans to

open Manteca store

 The loss of Pier 1 Imports due to its decision to go 100 percent on line in a restructuring move didn’t leave a hole for very long in the Spreckels Business Park commercial area.

The Boot Barn has taken over the space next to TJ Maxx. They are now working on interior alterations and hiring a staff.

There are existing Boot Barns in Tracy, Modesto, Stockton, Turlock, and Lodi. Manteca hasn’t had a retail store devoted exclusively to western wear since such a store closed in the space now occupied by Manteca Lighting next door to Dollar general.

Movement to ban new

gas stations in NorCal is

gaining momentum

The North Bay City of Novato will vote tonight on whether to allow Costco to build a huge new gas station, despite strong opposition from locals concerned about climate change.
Novato is the latest front in a battle to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Lily Cohen is from the nonprofit 350 Bay Area said projects such as this fly in the face of local and state climate goals.
Supporters say the city, which currently has a multi-million dollar deficit, stands to make a lot of money from gas taxes, while consumers will have access to cheaper Costco gas.  
Cohen countered the project would undermine existing gas stations and could cause air and water pollution.
 The Costco fight is reaching a crescendo less than a week after the subject was raised whether it was wise to allow more gas stations in Manteca with the ending 2023 mandate that bars the sale of new vehicles starting in 205 that are powered by fossil fuels. The Planning Commission approved a new Chevron station on the southwest corner of Atherton Drive and Union Road after one resident made a pitch not to do so for the same reasons being raised in Novato.

The movement to ban new gas stations is spreading.
Woody Hastings, co-coordinator of the Coalition Opposing New Gas Stations (Con-GAS), has successfully nixed three gas stations in Sonoma County.

Last month Petaluma banned all new gas stations — a first for a United States city.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com