Taos gets its first ‘food hall’
La Terraza de Taos moves above Mondo Italiano
Anew food venture has popped up in Taos. Though they exist throughout the country and are popular spots in thriving towns and cities, Taos is now seeing the implementation of its first official “food hall.” Expanding out of the Mondo Italiano building, located at 832 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, owner and head chef Jennifer DeBow has officially opened the Taos Food Hall and Marketplace, which she hopes will be a space for people to gather together to try a variety of foods and drinks.
Reinventing Mondo Italiano
DeBow relocated to the large twostory building in 2018 from a smaller space in the strip mall that houses Electric Sheep and H&R Block north down Paseo del Pueblo Sur. Business was going pretty well until COVID-19 slowed things down. With over 5,000 square feet and a capacity of 220, DeBow saw empty tables throughout the pandemic, but was able to keep selling food to go, which is now a large part of her overall business.
“After the last few years, there’s just no way I can see reopening the entire restaurant and running it the way that I did before,” she explained. “The to-go business has gotten so strong that, even though I’ve kept it smaller — I’m still only at about 30 percent seating capacity — I’m doing the same number as I did when I was at 100 percent capacity.”
This led her to rethink her postCOVID opening. After a trip to Albuquerque’s Sawmill Market, a large food hall with vendors of all kinds, she got inspired. “That was the catalyst,” said DeBow.
“I just wanted energy to keep happening in the building. I didn’t want to become stagnant,” she added. So she started thinking about possible changes. Luckily, thanks to her husband and business partner Genaro Jimenez, who helped with the building design, the infrastructure was in place to begin creating a food hall. A separate kitchen was already built into
the upstairs portion, and lines are set up in the floor for a bar.
DeBow’s former gelato shop, Treat (which closed with the pandemic) also has a separate patio, and is ready to be occupied by another kitchen.
La Terraza de Taos
The first business to officially open in the Taos Food Hall was La Terraza de Taos, a Mexican restaurant
focusing primarily on food from Acapulco, a city on Mexico’s Pacific coast. The restaurant officially opened on March 28, and is owned and operated by Francisco Bahena and his son, Francisco Bahena Jr.
Bahena Sr. had wanted to start a restaurant ever since he and his family lived in California. “He wanted to open his restaurant a long time ago. We just didn’t have
enough money to do it,” explained Bahena Jr.
After moving to Taos to explore different options when it came to cooking, Bahena Sr. started working at Antonio’s as a cook. He also spent time working at now-closed restaurants The Trading Post Cafe and Bella’s Mexican Grill. Most recently, he cooked at Sol Food Market in Arroyo Seco.
Eventually, the Bahenas gathered
up enough money to go out on their own. “We were looking at places and we actually went to the old Kyote Club. We called that place to see how much for rent and everything, and when we called, they offered us this place,” Bahena Jr. said of how they ended up above Mondo Italiano. “My dad worked for Jennifer three years ago, so they knew each other, so that’s how it started.”
Bahena Jr. said the reception to their food has been positive. “We see a smile on peoples’ faces every time they come in, so I think they’re enjoying it so far,” he said. “My father just wants to bring a Mexican tradition to Taos so people can know where we’re from.” He said many of their recipes were handed down from his grandmother.
He said they are glad to be part of the new Taos Food Hall. “I feel really good so far. I think most of the people are really excited about it. They think that we need something like this… I think it’s gonna be good for the community,” Bahena Jr. said.
Grand ambitions
DeBow hopes to create more opportunities for businesses like La Terraza. “It’s great if you want to be entrepreneurial; if you want to start small someplace and try to build your business,” she said, noting that the Mondo Italiano kitchen could also be used as a commissary kitchen for smaller vendors.
Ideally, she hopes to see a multicultural food hub arise. “I love the idea of having multi-ethnic foods here. And I love the thought of also doing a couple of fun pop ups here and there.”
She said she is in talks with local distilleries and wineries about putting a tasting room on the east side of the building, and talking with other businesses about utilizing the old gelato space.
However, she is not limiting herself to the inside of the building. “In the back area of my parking lot, I think there’s a great space for a truck to be parked and with a nice little structure behind it and a couple of picnic tables,” she said. She also hopes to have someone selling cold deserts outside in the summer.
DeBow has also begun creating a market space in Mondo Italiano, with various food and goods available for sale. “I’m trying to develop more of a grab-and-go business and market items,” including to-go pizza kits, she explained.
“It’s an exciting business. The last couple of years have been eyeopening, to say the least. I think, for those of us who have been able to figure out how to evolve our business in the way that that business is trending, more power to us,” she said. “It’s been fun. It’s been challenging at times. But overall, I think it’s been really fun, because it lets me be artistic and out there and doing my thing.”
DeBow hopes to create more opportunities for businesses like La Terraza. ‘It’s great if you want to be entrepreneurial; if you want to start small someplace and try to build your business,’ she said.