When Alicia Sanchez moved from New York City to Santa Fe nine years ago, it didn’t take her long to decide to put down roots. “I visited Santa Fe and I liked it,” Sanchez said. “I was here for 48 hours, and I walked into a home [that was for sale] and put down an offer on it. I’ve spent a longer time shopping for jeans.”
It took Sanchez a bit longer to open her own restaurant, though she said it’s something she’s wanted to do since she arrived. In early April, she plans to open Salad Fe, a fast-casual, counter-service eatery that serves freshly prepared, made-to-order salads, wraps and protein bowls.
Salad Fe will be on the east side of the DeVargas Center, 151 Paseo de Peralta, in the space previously occupied by Pizza Etc. At a mere 1,250 square feet, the eatery is diminutive, but Sanchez believes it is poised to have an outsize impact on the restaurant market.
“I’ve already got 1,300 followers on Facebook without having sold a single salad,” she said. “People are really excited for a fast, healthy, fresh option."
If those people are growing impatient about getting the chance to try what Salad Fe will be offering, Sanchez said she understands how they feel. She said she signed a lease on the space in November 2024 and planned to be open long before now.
For a variety of reasons Sanchez declined to name, that has not happened. But after receiving her certificate of occupancy two weeks ago, her long wait appears to be over, and Salad Fe is poised for an early April debut.
“We’ll start with just salads, then do wraps, then do grain and protein bowls,” she said. “We’ll call that our soft opening," a rollout she expects to last seven to 10 days.
"When the full menu is available, we’ll call that our grand opening.”
