Sunport unveils new food options as part of renovation project
Dec 16, 2024
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – For the first time in more than a decade, there are finally some new options for what to eat inside the Albuquerque International Sunport, as the city hits the home stretch of its nearly $90 million revamp. Construction has been ongoing for more than a year to overhaul the entire post-security food area. Now, the city is celebrating the opening of the first two new eateries.
"Altogether, about 80% of our restaurants are owned and operated by local businesses," said Gary Gilliard, Deputy Director of Albuquerque's Aviation Department. "That's our goal, that's our accomplishment and we're proud to say that."
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As of Monday, two new Albuquerque-based spots are now serving customers, including "Rush of Prana", which offers vegan food and a variety of juices and smoothies. The second new restaurant is called "Flavor of NM" serving burritos, enchiladas, tacos, and other New Mexican favorites. The openings mark the beginning of the end of the project, which started in 2023. It's the first time the city has revamped food offerings here since 2011.
"We have an amazing new lineup of restaurants," said Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller. "In the end, they're going to match what everyone wanted. We had a massive community process for actually 18 months ahead of this, in terms of what people wanted."
Over the weekend, a long-time staple, Panda Express, reopened. Soon enough, other restaurants are also expected to begin operating. Those include Piñon Coffee, Laguna Burger, and the well-known Sadies, alongside Steel Bender Brewyard and a few others. Though Dunkin Donuts looks like it's open, it'll be some time until customers can buy anything.
The city said the next business that should open is the "Teller" Brand's bar, which should be operational before the end of the year. The city said the entire redevelopment project is expected to be completed by sometime 2025.