Farm House Collective to Open This Fall

I’m 46 years old. I may be part of the last generation that grew up eating at great University Avenue restaurants like El Gato Gordo, Harry C’s, and Chan’s Chinese food. These places were unique. This wasn’t open-floor plans or casual dining. These places looked like what you were eating. The design was thematically heavy, and Chinese restaurants didn’t look like Mexican food restaurants. Why would they?

Very little is left of what made University Avenue a regional dining and entertainment destination half a century ago. The drive from Downtown, east on the avenue, was lined with kitschy hotels and restaurants, and neon signs’ characteristic buzzing glow was everywhere. There are still a few remnants of the glory days. The neon signs at the Thunderbird and Skylark motels are still there. The building that is now Madre’s Brunch was The Coachman. The buildings that house Los Jilberto’s and Templo Del Sol still retain their original structure, but practically, they are all gone.

The most glaring exception is The Farm House Motel. Gloriously whimsical is something we don’t do much as an aesthetic anymore. What replaced the great restaurants didn’t look cool. It looked like concrete, steel, and glass. Like most mid-century buildings at the University, The Farm House had fallen into disrepair. I think many of us, locally, assumed it would have the same fate as all the rest of the grand old buildings on the street. They, too, would be replaced by something sterile, without character, which wasn’t as inviting or fun as what preceded it.

Long-time Inland Empire residents, the Bailey Family saw potential in The Farm House Motel. They have a history of local business dealings dating back to the 1880s. They wanted to repurpose the historic Farm House Motel into a family-friendly marketplace. They acquired the property in 2020 from the City of Riverside.

They were able to create something more in line, business-wise, with what the University has become. University Avenue isn’t the playground for Riversiders and raceway visitors to recreate. It’s now where college students go to get a quick bite. The new version of The Farm House is just that. A stylish place to get something to eat.

“One of the most meaningful aspects of preservation is to give new life and purpose to historic buildings and re-engage them with the community,” says Jen Mermilliod, an Architectural Historian who lives and works in Riverside, “Mid-century roadside commercial architecture like restaurants, gas stations, and motels relied on big monument signs with whimsical shapes, artful letterforms, and bright, colorful neon to arrest the attention of the motoring public and draw patrons right off the road.”

“Restoring The Farm House Motel, and its fanciful neon sign, not only revitalizes the property and preserves this historic gem, it also brings back a true sense of mid-century Americana along this stretch of University Avenue.”

The Bailey’s vision for The Farm House Collective is about to be realized.

Visitors can enjoy an elevated menu at Bar Ni Modo, featuring craft cocktails in collaboration with The Bailey Family and local Riverside business Arcade Coffee. All-day brunch and burgers are available at Batter Rebellion. Pocket Change is a vintage market tenant that will be putting on a variety of events.

Three other restaurants - Blue Bowl Acai, Benedetto Gelato, and Eco Now - will also be part of the collective. Upon opening this fall, guests at The Farm House Collective can expect to see local favorites and new-to-the-area businesses.