Uniquely is a Modesto Bee series that covers the moments, landmarks and personalities that define what makes living in the Central Valley so special.
Modesto, you have no idea what is in store for you.
Aaron Valencia, founder of real estate investment firm Royal Equity Fund, has taken on a personal project that is a bit too spectacular to put into words — and I’m saying that as a writer. He’s spent what he describes as “a lot of millions” of dollars to convert 87-year-old grain silos into a coffee shop, bar, restaurant, event space and a personal sanctuary.
“It’s not just the food or the coffee shop,” Valencia said while giving me a tour. “There’s more to it; there’s so much more to it.”
He envisions car and motorcycle shows, wine and tequila festivals, live music and social events. As a Modesto Junior College board member and with his Modesto Silos restaurant sharing a parking lot with the college, Valencia also anticipates collaborations with MJC.
Built by The Grange Company in 1939, the grain elevator with five concrete silos has a large chute on one side and a shed covering what was a weighing station on the other, according to a document filed by the Stanislaus County Historical Society in 1984. At the front of the building is a metal shed that covered a railroad section.
While I could not find information on square footage or height of the silos, the SCHS document lists the property size as 607 by 404 feet.
The Grange Company was founded in 1874 and is “the oldest concern in Modesto,” according to the SCHS. It was organized by 100 farmers and governed by 12 directors.
Pioneer farmer Garrison Turner was the first president. Under his supervision, The Grange Company grew from one warehouse in Modesto to 28 in 15 towns long the railroad track is Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Merced counties, according to the SCHS. The silos have “long been a landmark on the Modesto skyline and did much to further the agricultural development of the area.”
Grain silos now serve as public hangout and private sanctuary
Some of the most impressive parts of the redeveloped silos are private.
The terrazza, open-air coffee shop and café area, bar, restaurant and event space will be open to the public. The basement area with an office, lounge, wine cellar and art gallery is private, as are two upstairs lounges.
An architect inspired Valencia to take on the seemingly impossible project.
“He bought an old cement factory in Barcelona and he built his sanctuary,” Valencia said. “I love architecture, obviously, but he was the one that opened my mind to possibilities beyond what I could have ever thought possible in my life.”
The coffee shop, kitchen and bathrooms are constructed from 40-foot cargo containers that were added onto the metal shed/café seating area.
The coffee shop and seating area are at what the Historical Society described as the front of the building, where the railroad went through and grain was loaded. The café will serve coffee, fresh juices and healthy bites, while the restaurant will have a full bar and feature Mexican-American fusion.
Indoor and outdoor areas combined, Modesto Silos has a 398-person capacity. The remaining parts of the silos are empty “like toilet paper tubes,” Valencia said, but he has ideas for them.
Modesto Silos will open in the next few weeks at 320 Madonia Ave. Valencia plans for the restaurant to be open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., with a short midday closure.
A restaurant wasn’t the first renovation idea for the silos
Valencia was born in Morelia, Mexico, in 1975 and moved to Anaheim when he was 13.
“You want to know my first job in America? Dumpster diver,” he said. “From there, I started selling watches on the street, and then we got into the restaurant business.”
Valencia then earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering technology from Devry University. He stopped working in that field around 20 years ago and founded Royal Equity Firm, then moved to the Central Valley a few years after that.
He purchased the grain silos around eight years ago, but he wasn’t the only one interested in redeveloping them. Modesto developer Peter Janopaul III had plans in 2012 to convert the silos to a 12-story apartment building.
A Yosemite Community College District spokesperson previously told The Modesto Bee that he had heard of three proposals between 2002 and 2012 for converting the silos to commercial uses or apartments. Before Janopaul, the silos were owned by Denver-based Trinidad Benham Corp., which acquired the property after The Grange Company was sold in the early 1980s.
Valencia initially wanted to create micro spaces for businesses with St. Stan’s Brewery as an anchor tenant. But when the COVID-19 pandemic happened, the brewery went out of business.
“By that time, I started working on the inside for me,” he said. “I always wanted my office, my wine cellar, my lounge; that was very clear to me.”
He then thought about finding a business partner who would serve as an operator, or, “worst case,” operate a restaurant himself.
“I’ve ended up in the worst case, so I gotta do it myself,” Valencia said. “I’m relying on the expertise (of) the chefs, the servers, the bartenders. ... I’m here for the ride, but I’m relying on their artistry.”
Since he purchased the silos, Valencia said he never had a thought to do anything that wouldn’t preserve their structure and originality. He estimates that 98% of the interior is original, aside from some paint and other small touches.
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