Cantina Hospitality Group assumes ownership of NE Heights pizzeria

Farina Alto Pizzeria & Wine Bar is changing hands, a move that will make it the latest restaurant to join Cantina Hospitality Group.

The local restaurant group, which owns and operates many of New Mexico’s well-known restaurant brands, announced it is acquiring the popular Northeast Heights pizzeria on Monday.

“Farina Alto has earned its place in Albuquerque’s culinary scene through a commitment to quality and community,” said the group’s co-owner and CEO, Lee Caperton, in a statement. “We’re honored to carry that tradition forward — preserving what makes it special while bringing new life and support to help it thrive.”

Farina Alto Pizzeria & Wine Bar opened at 10721 Montgomery NE in 2013. Restaurateurs Pat and Terry Keene started the restaurant, known for its oven baked and delicately charred thin crust pizza, house-made pastas and carefully assembled wine list.

The pair also opened Farina Alto’s sibling restaurant, Farina Pizzeria & Wine Bar at 510 Central SE, in Downtown Albuquerque in 2008. The Northeast Heights location, Farina Alto, is the only restaurant with a new owner.

The Keenes still own the Downtown Farina location, according to an employee of the location. The Keenes were the most recent owners of the Northeast Heights Farina Alto location before the switch to Cantina Hospitality Group, according to a manager of the location.

The restaurant group wasn’t available for comment on the reasons for the change in ownership.

But the shift to new ownership will elicit updates and enhancements to select menu offerings, service flow and guest experience, a news release said. The drink menu will also grow to include craft beers and ciders from Cantina Craftworks, a local brewery also owned by Cantina Hospitality Group.

The group owns and operates several restaurant brands, including Tamashi, Sushi King, Poki Poki Cevicheria and Brekki Brekki. The group oversees nearly 200 employees and serves more than 100,000 guests throughout the Southwest every year.

Farina Alto will stay open through the transition, the release said.

“Our job isn’t to change Farina Alto — it’s to strengthen it,” said Robert Punya, the group’s co-owner and director of operations, in a statement. “We’re bringing in the resources and hospitality standards that power our other concepts, while staying true to what longtime guests already love. We’re here to build on its legacy, not replace it.”