Owner, Employees Mourn Closing of Pacific Cafe

Much to the chagrin of its owners, Pacific Cafe has reduced its hours from 11 to 6 hours a day, limiting students choices for food on the Fresno City College campus after 3 p.m., when the college cafeteria closes.

After the Rampage reported that Pacific Cafe did not renew its contract for next year, employees of the restaurant began looking for other jobs.

“[The Rampage] announced that we are closing, and employees were afraid to lose their jobs, so they started looking for other jobs,” Tom Hagihara, owner of Pacific Cafe said. “I used to be open from 7a.m. to 6 o’clock, but I don’t have enough people, so I cut down from 7 [a.m.] to 2 [p.m.].”

Before the news broke in February that the restaurant would close down, Hagihara had 14 people on staff. Now, only seven people work there.

Chemeng Thao has worked as a cook and cashier at the cafe for four years. He said he has a three-year-old and another baby due in August and does not know where he will work after the restaurant closes.

“I didn’t know about it until the boss told us; it was a last minute notice,” Thao said. “I’ve been applying, but so far, it’s been no good.”

The contract for Pacific Cafe was up for renewal in January, but district representatives told Hagihara that they plan to use the Pacific Cafe space for the Ram Pantry.

“When I was ready to sign they never called me,” Hagihara said. “I wanted to stay.”

Cheryl Sullivan, the vice president of Administrative Services, said that the college had been evaluating food options for all of the schools beneath the district’s umbrella.

Pacific Cafe opened in 1994 as a part of the Yoshino’s restaurant chain, and Hagihara was the restaurant’s manager.

“My whole life, I worked for restaurants. I was manager for Yoshino’s, and I asked my boss to increase my salary,” Hagihara said. “He said I would have to increase his business before he could give me more money.”

Hagihara then bought Pacific Cafe from the owner in 1999.

Since then, Hagihara recognized that students want more than just sushi on campus and began serving everything from hamburgers to sandwiches to tempura.

Hagihara has plans to open a Japanese take-out restaurant after the eatery closes. He wishes the best for the school.

“I hope the Ram Pantry is successful,” Hagihara said. “I don’t want to waste this space.”