Just over three months after the Greenside Cafe closed, Trail Rider Pizza owner Ashlea Cook will take over the space in an expansion of the locally cherished dining spot.
“We are in full renovation mode,” Cook told The Independent.
Cook, who will celebrate her 20th anniversary in the business next month, has been seeking to expand Trail Rider for a few years. Its last transition was out of a smaller location seven years ago, she said, and the restaurant is due for even more growth.
When Greenside closed down in September, Cook jumped at the chance to take over the next-door location.
“I have been chasing this spot for a minute,” Cook said.
In August, Greenside was shut down temporarily due to health concerns but reopened three days later, records show. The store shut down permanently a few weeks later.
Cook declined to comment on why the Greenside Cafe shut down permanently.
“I don’t want to tell you how gross it was, but it needed a complete renovation,” Cook said. “The demolition was the hardest part, and the renovation has been awesome.”
She got the keys in September and signed the lease in October. Cook said Trail Rider is aiming to open by next month.
All of her employees are transferring to the new location, and she’s looking to hire a couple more.
“There’s definitely room for growth. There are definitely employment opportunities,” Cook said. “And I would love to employ lots of people on the mountain.”
The community has been abuzz about the opening, Cook said, and the response has been uplifting. She put out a call for the community to help on Facebook and at her restaurant.
“We’ve taken on this big project and put a lot of love into the new space,” Cook said. “It’s got new flooring, new walls, new pretty much everything.”
More than 30 volunteers showed up to help, she said. This began a new tradition: the handprint wall.
“If you came out and you literally laid your hands on the restaurant and helped us facilitate some things, there’s a friends and family community wall that people are a part of,” Cook said. “That’s been really cool to watch.”
The most exciting feature of the new location, Cook said, is a designated karaoke room.
At the old location, there was just one big room. When Trail Rider would host its frequent karaoke nights, it would sometimes lose business from people who wanted a quieter dining experience. In the new location, there’s an entirely separate dining room for karaoke, Cook said.
There are also two outdoor alcohol service patios in the new location — another upgrade from the old one. Patrons can bring their pets to the outdoor seating, Cook said.
“Being able to sit down and have a beer outside is huge, because I don’t have that right now,” Cook said.
Trail Rider has drawn visitors from all around New Mexico — a success that Cook attributes in part to the gluten-free and vegan options available on the menu
“I have the community, and they have my back,” Cook said. “The ample support of the community has been huge.”
Cook is aiming to open the new restaurant by Jan. 20, she said. But in the meantime, the old Trail Rider location is still up and running, and Cook encourages the community to continue to come dine, sing and socialize.