Another longtime New Mexico dining institution is disappearing from Albuquerque’s Central Avenue, following other recent restaurant closures around the state. Kap’s Coffee Shop & Diner announced October 11, 2026, as its final day, bringing a 58-year family restaurant tradition on historic Route 66 to an end.
The diner served New Mexican breakfasts and lunches to generations of customers along Route 66. The owners gave regulars advance notice so they could return for one last meal.
From a former Denny’s to a Route 66 landmark
In 1968, Albuquerque businessman Nick Kapnison acquired a former Denny’s on Central Avenue. He first called the restaurant Sandy’s and renamed it Kap’s a few years later. The 58-year history therefore dates to the family’s operation of the diner, rather than to the familiar Kap’s name…