Jesse Boy brings Korean fried chicken to Fresno's River Park

Jesse Boy is preparing to open at River Park, bringing Korean fried chicken, vegan Korean fried cauliflower and a menu built for more than one kind of diner to 140 E. Paseo Del Centro. Co-owner Ajay Hira says the restaurant is expected to open near Regal Edwards Fresno 4DX and IMAX by the end of September, giving Fresno its first Jesse Boy and the Central Valley a new Asian-inspired casual dining option in one of the city’s busiest retail districts.

The menu goes well beyond fried chicken. Jesse Boy says it will pair its signature items with jasmine rice, shoestring French fries, mixed green salad, housemade sauces and hand-crafted aguas frescas made daily with seasonal fruit. The cauliflower is completely vegan. That mix matters because it is aimed at families, moviegoers and shoppers who want something recognizable but still distinct from the usual chain restaurant lineup.

Jesse Boy’s roots are part of the story. The concept began with Chef Jesse’s memories of his mother’s home-cooked food, then grew from a farmers market idea into a restaurant in West Hollywood. The Fresno operators also have deep local ties, having lived in Fresno for more than 15 years and already serving the community through a nearby Yogurtland. For a business that started in Southern California and took shape through the farmers market circuit, River Park will be the latest and biggest test of whether the brand can travel north and still connect with local tastes.

River Park gives that experiment a strong setting. The shopping center describes itself as the Central Valley’s premier shopping destination and promotes its Tuesday Night Farmers Market every Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Directory listings put the open-air center at roughly 1,000,000 square feet, and its dining and entertainment mix already includes BarrelHouse Brewing Co. and Regal Edwards Fresno 4DX and IMAX. That foot traffic gives a new restaurant a built-in audience from the theater, the market and the larger stream of north Fresno shoppers.

The arrival also lands in a center that has already been part of a broader conversation about Asian food in Fresno. In April 2025, River Park reversed its decision to ban Asian food vendors from its farmers market after backlash from Fresno’s Asian community. Against that backdrop, Jesse Boy’s move into the complex carries more weight than a standard restaurant opening. It signals that River Park still has room for concepts that feel new, local and different, and that Fresno diners continue to make space for Korean flavors when the menu reaches beyond a single niche.