There’s another “Rio” in the works for Albuquerque’s “restaurant row.”
The owners of Hacienda del Rio — which has had a presence in Old Town since 2013 — are taking over the old Chile Rio space at 4811 Pan American NE for a second location of their New Mexican food restaurant.
Andres Rosales and David Ray Rosales say they plan to have the new Hacienda del Rio open by next month.
“It’s going to be very similar (to the original),” Andres Rosales told the Journal. “Same food — New Mexican food — and it’s still going to have a full liquor license like the one in Old Town. We’re going to carry several local draft beers there also.”
The owners were attracted to the site for a number of reasons, including the chance to bring some New Mexican food to a corridor known mostly for its chains, he added. They worked with Base 5 Retail’s David Fite on a leasing deal for the location.
The space has had its share of turnover — Chile Rio came and went in about 2½ years — but Rosales said he’s hopeful that Hacienda del Rio’s existing fans will help make it a success.
“I am placing a lot of faith in locals and in the following that we have with our current client base (of) regulars,” he said. “It’s just going to give them an option of eating at another location.”
