Maverik, One Central and Dion’s north
Agas station and convenience store chain labeling itself “adventure’s first stop” has made Albuquerque its latest destination with an aggressive foray into the metro area.
Maverik, a Salt Lake City-based company, has broken ground on four locations around town, while launching a digital billboard campaign to highlight the new developments.
The company’s promotional material advertises the chain’s mix of fresh foods, from muffins to club salads. The company’s restaurant, known as BonFire Grill, offers hot food ranging from breakfast tacos to barbecued chicken pizzas, according to the company website.
Maverik was founded in 1928 in Afton, Wyoming, per the company website. Today, the company has more than 300 locations across 11 Western states. The four Albuquerque stores will be at 3737 Princeton NE, 5001 Jefferson NE, 1401 Wyoming NE and 650 Juan Tabo NE.
Representatives of Maverik did not respond to several requests for comment, and opening dates for the four stores have not been publicized.
Jennifer Esquivel, marketing and communications manager for Albuquerque’s Office of Economic Development, said no city funds through the Local Economic Development Act were involved in the project.
Retail at last at Downtown complex
One of Downtown Albuquerque’s most highprofile apartment complexes is welcoming its first new restaurants.
One Central, a $40 million mixed-use apartment building at First and Central, will soon be home to Blended Acai, a counter-service restaurant specializing in healthy, plant-based options. When it opens later this month, it will join Urban Taqueria, a taco restaurant that opened in July.
The owners of both restaurants said they were drawn to One Central’s urban location near transit and several prominent downtown hotels.
“We like what’s happening Downtown,” said Hanif Mohamed, owner and operator of Urban Taqueria.
The much-ballyhooed apartment complex, which features 68 market-rate apartments and 15,887 square feet of retail, with access to a 423-space city parking garage, opened to tenants last summer. The project was billed as part of a Downtown “entertainment district,” and the city contributed land and nearly half the cost of the project, according to the Journal’s archives.
Today, the apartments are 100% leased and have a waiting list of potential tenants, according to Tim House, managing director with SVN/ Team Southwest. However, retail offerings have been slow to follow. House said a couple of potential tenants backed out of the project. Urban Taqueria and Blended Acai were the first two named tenants, and House said another national tenant has signed a lease at the complex, though he did not identify the company.
Despite the challenges, Mohamed said he was instantly attracted to the space. Mohamed, who also owned Krazy Lizard Taqueria, 5659 Jefferson NE, said he liked the vibrancy and the access to visitors staying at nearby hotels like the Hotel Andaluz and the Hyatt Regency.
“We wanted to be in an area where there was more traffic,” Mohamed said.
The new restaurant is keeping much of Krazy Lizard’s menu of salads, tortas, tacos and burritos. He said the