Plans afoot for ‘funky’ restaurant

Developer says DeSoto could be a social hub

The CHOMP! food bazaar is not the only development in the works at the Luna Complex. A big new restaurant is planned for an adjacent space, facing Cerrillos.

Luna developer Ken Joseph said he’s working with local partners to create DeSoto, a two-story, 7,000-square-foot restaurant named after the old car dealership that occupied the center and whose Chrysler make went out of production in 1961. The space has been a movie theater and assorted nightclubs since its DeSoto days, said Joseph.

Richard Lavallee, the founder of M2X, a local consulting and design business that specializes in hospitality projects, is partnering with Joseph on the new restaurant. Though Lavallee didn’t want to reveal too many details, he described Desoto — which they hope to open by “late summer” — as an “urban” dining experience.

“It’ll be funky for Santa Fe,” he said. “But it would be just as comfortable in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, a larger market.”

The menu is being created by Robert Hesse, who rose to celebrity chef status as a two-time contestant on the “Hell’s Kitchen” reality TV show. Lavallee described the planned offerings as “urban chic,” taking inspiration from what foodies could buy from a vendor on the streets of New York, while also utilizing local flavors and ingredients.

Lavallee wants the restaurant to be attractive to both locals and the tourists who stay at several hotels within walking distance. DeSoto also is designed to be a fixture in the city’s nightlife scene, with plans for a bar and possibly a DJ in the evenings.

“If we do our job right, it will be social hub for Santa Fe,” said Lavallee.