Tower restaurant closes for good. ‘I will never open another business in Fresno’

The owner of a popular Italian restaurant on the edge of the Tower District is closing his business for good.

And he is not happy with Fresno.

Oggi Cosi Si Mangia, on Van Ness Avenue just south of Olive Avenue has been temporarily closed since it caught fire in November. Now, owner Louie Maglieri said he will not reopen it — at least not in Fresno.

He publicly announced his plans — and blasted the city and the police department for a lack of support — on Facebook and in an interview with The Bee. Ongoing problems with homeless people on his property are driving him out of town, he said.

He plans to reopen Oggi elsewhere, likely on the coast, where he’s already in the process of opening a hot dog restaurant.

Both the city and police dispute the owner’s take on the situation, saying they’ve done plenty to address the issue.

Fire and closure

The fire seriously damaged the kitchen in the restaurant, though the wood and stone exterior appears unscathed. The kitchen requires extensive remodeling and the interior is now gutted down to the two-by-fours, Maglieri said.

He originally planned to reopen the 18-year-old restaurant known for its romantic vibe and high-end dining. Though it could take up to a year, he said.

Now, he says he’s done with Fresno.

“F___ them,” he said in a phone interview with The Bee. “I will never open another business in Fresno. No freakin’ way.”

The problem stems from repeated issues with homeless people on the property after the fire. They were camping outside the building and living inside after climbing through an air duct, said Maglieri, who rents the property.

“I would go over there, chase the bums out, they’d come right back,” he said.

Maglieri said he did what he could, chasing people out and putting up a chain-link fence. He posted a no trespassing sign and signed paperwork that would allow police officers to arrest people inside for trespassing.

He said he, his cook and a neighbor have called police 30 or 40 times.

“I’ve called the police so many times. They don’t come out,” he said. “I’ve called the mayor’s office. In the meantime they were destroying my place.”

A Fresno Police Department spokesperson said that’s not true.

In a one-year span starting June 4 of 2023, police were at the location 25 times, said Lt. Bill Dooley. Many of the visits were not in response to calls, but officers simply checking on the property, he said.

“The majority of it is community relations checks the bike officers are doing on their own,” he said.

At least two people have been cited on the property, and one person experiencing mental health issues was committed, he noted.

Still, Maglieri said he’s tired of it all.

“I’ve tried everybody. You guys don’t help me. I will never open another business in Fresno again,” he said.

The City of Fresno released a statement via email from Mayor Jerry Dyer regarding the situation.

“The Mayor is disheartened to hear Mr. Maglieri feels the City of Fresno did not provide the service-level he expected to protect his fire-damaged business. We deeply value the legacy of Oggi Cosi Si Mangia in the Tower District. His restaurant was well known for serving some of the finest authentic Italian food around. However, in the past year alone (June 2023-June 2024) the police department responded 25 times to Mr. Maglieri’s property, 15 of which were the proactive efforts of officers to ensure the property was remaining secure. In addition to police response, we provided graffiti abatement services, debris removal, and homeless assistance by our HART team. I am certain I join many loyal Oggi’s patrons in my disappointment hearing that Mr. Maglieri has decided not to re-open his restaurant in the Tower District. We appreciate all he brought to the area over the years, and we will miss him!”

Addressing homelessness has been a priority for Dyer. For example, Project Off-Ramp has helped 1,700 unhoused people find shelter, including many living near Fresno’s freeways. The city has also used millions in state funding to buy motels and turn them into housing for people previously living on the streets.

As for Oggi, Maglieri was in the process of buying the property it sits on.

The day before escrow closed, Maglieri said he was “tagged” by code enforcement for the condition of the property.

A statement from City Attorney Andrew Janz said code enforcement had received “several complaints from neighboring business regarding trash, homeless activity, and other similar Code violations.”

His office is working with the owner to bring the property into compliance and “to my knowledge no fines have been issued,” said Janz in an emailed statement.

The code issues were the last straw, Maglieri said.

“I just canceled everything and moved on,” he said. “I’m done.”

Oggi at the coast

He is now opening a restaurant that’s quite different from his previous one. It’s called Louie the Lip’s Weenie World in Pismo Beach.

It’s a Chicago hot dog restaurant at 246 Pomeroy Ave., just a few blocks from the beach in the bustling heart of Pismo.

He still wants to find a new home for Oggi. That will be either in the Pismo area or Arroyo Grande village, according to his post. He said he’s been told by San Luis Obispo County officials that he won’t face the same issues with homelessness.

His experience in Fresno has soured him on the city.

“This town doesn’t have s___. It’s pretty ghetto if you ask me,” he said. “They don’t deserve me. I’ll go where I’m appreciated. They can open another tattoo shop.”

Still, he thanked his customers for their loyalty over the years. He encouraged them to say hello to him at the coast.

“I watch their children grow up,” he said. “It really saddens me because I love most of my customers.”