Frida Cafe launches fundraiser to restore and reopen the Fresno Water Tower

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The historic Water Tower in Downtown Fresno has been a landmark for over 130 years.

Now it has a new purpose -- a coffee shop.

Frida Cafe is giving the iconic Fresno Water Tower a fresh look by restoring the inside in hopes of opening the doors again.

The local coffee shop was supporting two locations, but owner Albee Sanchez said they had to shut down the Fulton location over the process of opening the Water Tower location.

Frida Cafe is asking for the community's help to complete the space inside the historic Water Tower.

"From the time that we first got a quote for this build out, it has gone up almost four times. So, to support the coffee shop during the summer, which statistically is a slow time of year for sales, and to do this at the same time, we just couldn't do it," said Sanchez.

A fundraising campaign launched in hopes to open the shop this fall.

If you would like to donate, you can visit the shop's social media.