1720 Central Ave. SW — Approximate Relocated Vinaigrette Site
Vinaigrette, the wellness-focused restaurant that has anchored part of Albuquerque’s dining scene for more than a decade, will close its location after a 14-year run. Owner Erin Wade has pointed to pandemic-era shifts and changes in the downtown area as the reasons behind the shutdown.
A 14-Year Run Comes to an End
According to The Business Journals, Wade owns Vinaigrette and cited the pandemic-driven shifts and downtown changes as the forces behind her decision to shutter the restaurant for good. The closure caps 14 years of operation for the eatery, a notable stretch in a local restaurant landscape that has seen plenty of turnover.
Wade isn’t walking away from the restaurant business, though. She has already relocated Vinaigrette to 1720 Central Avenue SW, the former site of her other concept, Modern General Feed & Seed, according to KRQE. The move puts the restaurant inside the historic Horn Oil buildings along Route 66, near Old Town, a stretch of the city steeped in its own roadside history.
A Three-Business Concept Takes Shape
Wade plans to open two more businesses alongside the relocated Vinaigrette in what’s being called the Country Club Plaza, per the same report: The Pickle Baller and Tiny’s. The Pickle Baller will feature a full-sized pickleball court set in the middle of the three-business layout, giving diners and drinkers a built-in reason to stick around after a meal…