Owner Sold Stake in Turlock Restaurant Bistro 234
Longtime owner Leroy Walker divested his interest to focus exclusively on his other local restaurant, First & Main.
Updated on Oct. 10, 2026 in Dining Out
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Leroy Walker has sold his ownership stake in Turlock dining staple Bistro 234 after a 25-year tenure. He sold the business to a new ownership group consisting of Nestor Jacobo, Tom Murphy, and Christine Murphy.
Why it matters
The sale allows Walker and his partner, Mohini Singh, to concentrate their efforts on growing their secondary establishment, First & Main. Running two separate restaurants had become increasingly labor intensive for the pair.
Leroy Walker held his stake in the restaurant for 25 years before finalizing the sale. The owners will now focus exclusively on First & Main, which first opened 7 years ago.
The players
Leroy Walker
He is a 58-year-old restaurateur who has operated dining establishments in Turlock for two and a half decades.
Mohini Singh
She serves as the director of the culinary arts program at Pitman High School and is a partner at First & Main.
Nestor Jacobo
He is one of the three new owners who purchased the ownership stake in Bistro 234.
Tom Murphy
He is one of the new owners who acquired the stake in the Turlock restaurant.
Christine Murphy
She is one of the new owners who acquired the stake in the Turlock restaurant.
The details
The ownership group comprised of Nestor Jacobo, Tom Murphy, and Christine Murphy acquired the restaurant after the previous owners signaled they were looking to divest. Walker, 58, and Singh determined that managing two distinct dining locations had become unsustainable.
Timeline
Leroy Walker maintained an ownership stake in Bistro 234 for 25 years.
First & Main opened in Turlock 7 years ago.
Culture Shift
The sale follows the restaurant industry trend of consolidation toward single-site management as operators seek to improve labor efficiency and focus growth. This move mirrors a common pivot in the local culinary scene where owners prioritize quality control at a single flagship venue.
Regular patrons of Bistro 234 should anticipate potential changes in management style under the new ownership group. For those frequenting First & Main, the transition likely means more consistent hours and menu focus as the owners dedicate their full attention to that site.
The takeaway
Concentrating on a single business often allows owners to improve service quality and operational stability. Local restaurateurs frequently prune their portfolios to ensure long-term sustainability for their most successful locations.
Further reading
Find more updates on the local food scene in our Turlock Dining Out section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Turlockjournal.
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