Establishing itself as a Turlock favorite in 1979, the restaurant was forced to move from its original home on Golden State Boulevard to its current location at North Center Street in 2012 due to building code issues. Unfortunately for the family-owned business, the move was less than ideal with minimal parking and a tri-level floorplan that didn’t suit the restaurant, which resulted in a 20 percent decrease in patronage according to owner Papiola Aghassi.
“Our parents built the foundation of Jura’s downtown and we wanted to redirect it downtown,” Papiola said. “There were good locations, the spaces were perfect, but parking was an issue. So that’s why we didn’t opt to go downtown.”
The new Jura’s will be located where Sherwin Williams used to operate, giving the restaurant and its customers three areas of dedicated parking and a single level floorplan that aligns more with its roots. But while the food and service will mirror its origins, Jura’s is looking to update and revamp its aesthetic and atmosphere with a complete redesign.
“We want to keep what our parents taught us, food quality and service and all that, but we need to bring it up to date to the 2000 era,” Flora Aghassi said. “It’s going to be the same family-oriented atmosphere, but we’re going to innovate a little more.”
Part of that innovation includes dedicated parking spaces for to-go orders, multiple bars and a potential patio area. The menu is also expected to undergo some changes with the addition of items such as hamburgers, sandwiches and ribs along with the introduction of new sauces for hot wings.
“When my mom and dad opened up they had a lot of other different items on the table for the menu. We want to try and go back to that and also bring something new,” Papiola said.
Jura’s is currently waiting for the City of Turlock to approve architectural designs and the transitional period from North Center Street to the Turlock Town Center is expected to begin after the Super Bowl in February 2018.
“We have never had a grand opening for Jura’s, even when my parents opened in ’79. This time we are definitely going to have a grand opening,” Papiola said. “We have a very, very loyal customer base. So, the values we used to have at the old location that they loved, we’re going to bring them back.”
