Longtime Merced restaurant moving and changing names. Where and when will it reopen?
Paul’s Place, a popular Merced restaurant, is moving locations, changing its name and adding patio seating.
The business has been on the corner of G Street and Alexander Avenue in Merced for 30 years.
The restaurant is closing its doors early next month and moving to the new Yosemite Crossing shopping center in north Merced, said owner Ron Stapp. Its new name will be Yosemite Station, he said.
Stapp and his wife Loreli own seven restaurants and bars in Merced, Mariposa and near Yosemite, including Strings Italian Cafe in Merced.
“We’ve owned the restaurant since 2018,” Ron Stapp said. “The name was based off of the previous owner. The new name is more of a theme with other restaurants we own near Yosemite and Mariposa.”
Previous owner Paul Ybarra opened the original restaurant in 1989. It was originally called Ryan’s Place. Ybarra changed the name to Paul’s Place in 1994.
Stapp says the opportunity to move to a new location was too good to pass up.
“The building we were in is old,” he said. “The utilities are quite expensive. For us this is a big opportunity to move to north Merced where we wanted to be for a while.
“It’s really a location situation,” Stapp added. “It’s going to be nice to be near Merced College and UC Merced. We’re close to the hospital and other doctor offices. It’s an area we think will continue to grow, and it’s a great opportunity to open a breakfast, lunch and dinner restaurant in that area. We’re excited about it.”
Yosemite Station will join a long list of new tenants in the Yosemite Crossing shopping center that includes West Coast Sourdough, Kabab City, Jamba Juice, Crumbl Cookie and Sprouts.
One of the benefits of moving — besides a brand new, clean building — is the opportunity to offer patio seating for about 25 customers.
“What will be nice on summer days is there will be umbrellas for shade,” Stapp said. “The patio will get morning sun, but in the afternoon it’s completely in the shade.”
The seating capacity will be about the same as the old location with a capacity of 110 people, including the patio area. The menu will stay the same except Stapp expects to add some appetizers that are popular items from their other restaurants.
The restaurant employs 24 people and all have been invited to make the move to the new location. Stapp says they may look to hire more people as they expand their hours in the near future.
Paul’s Place is scheduled to close on Sunday, Aug. 6. Stapp says they’ll use the following week to make the move and hope to open in the middle of August. The exact opening date hasn’t been set.
