Modern “seafood shack” franchise Slapfish is opening a new location in Albuquerque, New Mexico, bringing the fast-casual chain’s presence up to ten storefronts.
The restaurant is the first Slapfish to arrive in New Mexico, and is scheduled to open its doors on 7 October in a celebratory event that will see the first 100 guests gobbling up free lobster rolls. Coming to Albuquerque marks a milestone for the fast-casual concept, according to Slapfish founder and CEO Chef Andrew Gruel.
“Opening our first New Mexico location is a huge milestone for the Slapfish brand, and we couldn’t be more excited for Albuquerque residents to experience our crave-worthy seafood,” said Gruel. “With our menu of seasonally-rotating, gourmet dishes in a relaxed setting, guests experience the quality of fine dining at the cost and convenience of faster food. Also setting us apart is the fact that we only serve the finest fish and shellfish sourced from responsible suppliers of seafood.”
Slapfish Albuquerque is family-owned, with New Mexico native Eric Wilson and his wife, Kendra, at the helm of the new storefront. Wilson has 15 years of culinary experience as a chef, and was drawn to the Slapfish brand for its chef-inspired dishes and creative presentation.
“Slapfish is re-defining the seafood market, and we’re thrilled to bring an exciting new concept into Albuquerque unlike anything else currently available,” explained Wilson. “New Mexicans seek quality dining options, and we are confident that locals will quickly fall in love with the brand just as we did.”
Wilson and Slapfish identified Albuquerque as an ideal home for a new Slapfish restaurant, what with its hunger for high-quality seafood items and substantial growth as of late.
“With the flourishing population and lack of high quality seafood options, expanding into New Mexico’s largest city was a no-brainer for the family-owned business. Greater Albuquerque has also seen tremendous growth in the film industry, increasing the demand for quality, convenient and unique offerings such as Slapfish in the region,” said Slapfish in a news release.
Launched in 2011 as a California-based food truck, Slapfish has since morphed into a brick-and-mortar seafood dining concept with 10 stores in the United States and more locations on the way, including in the United Kingdom and South Korea. The Wilsons also intend to open a second location in Albuquerque in 2018.
