Salud de Central to Provide Free Taste of All Corridor Has to Offer

With so many one-of-a-kind restaurants, shops and spaces along Central Avenue, it’s difficult for residents, or even for Central’s business owners, to experience it all. To make it easier to sample the route’s offerings, many of the street’s businesses are joining to consolidate Central’s assets under one roof for a one-stop shop, one-night experience.

Salud de Central will provide the community easy access to more than 30 Central Avenue businesses from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. August 10 at the Banque Lofts, 219 Central Ave. NW.

The event will consist of food and beer samplings, pop-up shops, entertainment and booths from participants such as ABQ Trolley Co., Aerosoul Arts, Aux Dog Theater Company, 1 Central, Somos/Nuevo and Boomtime. Participating Central Avenue businesses include Brickyard, Pita Pit, Urban Fresh, Zacatecas, Garcia’s, Deep Space Coffee, Tractor Brewery, Side Track Brewery, Gertrude Zachary’s, Free Range, Blunt Brother, Mark Pardo, ABQ Ink and many more.

Businesses that wish to participate can register here.

The event is hosted by the Banque Lofts and the Small Business Resource Collaborative. The SBRC has been working since early 2016 to provide support to locally-owned businesses impacted by the Albuquerque Rapid Transit development. Salud de Central is the latest initiative to raise awareness of and increase consumer activity among the unique and diverse array of businesses located all along the backbone of the city.

As the ART project advances toward completion and summer winds down, this event is a fun way to show people a slice of Central’s offerings and to remind them of the improvements they will soon see – wider sidewalks, redesigned storefronts and new landscaping, to name just a few.

“Route 66 is home to some of the most eclectic and unique businesses in Albuquerque. Salud de Central is celebrating these businesses and taking you on a tour of Central all in one place, so you can sample, shop and sip,” said David Stroud, director of operations for the Banque Lofts.

The nine-story Banque Lofts building has been donated for the event, which is free for businesses to participate in and free for anyone to attend. A participating Central Avenue business will be randomly selected by Cumulus Radio to receive a gift package of Cumulus radio time for up to $3,000.

"It is exciting to see the business community at large come together to support our small businesses along Central,” said Leticia Bernal, business industry specialist with the SBRC. “It is important that we make stronger and deeper connections to our local economy, and this event it just one great way for us and the Banque Lofts to demonstrate that.”

For more information on Central Avenue businesses, please visit: www.abq66.com