I don’t know about anyone else, but I was more than a little excited when I heard that Wendy’s was considering building a store in Los Alamos. Before that could happen, 2020 stomped its way through our landscape and at this point there seems to be very little idea if or when that plan will come to fruition.
The eclectic blend of restaurants has always been a part of living here in Los Alamos. When I get frustrated by the lack of popular chain restaurants, I try to remind myself that our beautiful, unique community was meant to be isolated. That was kind of the purpose in the beginning, right? Our population is limited by the geography and availability of land. Corporate chains have strict guidelines on how large a population has to be before they consider building a store. Let’s face it, Los Alamos has never fit into these rules. Our town is a bit of a rebel in that way. After all, this community has two populations.
Population A: The number of people who live here.
Population B: the number of people who come here to work during the regular workweek (outside a pandemic work at home order of course!). And Population B can feel like triple the number of Population A if you’ve ever tried to find parking around lunchtime!
These numbers are so varied that it’s difficult for businesses and especially corporate run or franchise businesses to figure out things like hours and staffing. In fact, at one time there was a rumor that Panera Bread was going to put a location up here, but decided against it in the end. This population issue plays a big part in why we don’t have a lot of chain stores in Los Alamos, and unfortunately, it’s played a part in the fact that when we do, they often don’t last like we wish they would.
For those of you who are new to our community or perhaps even those who have been here for a long time, you might be surprised at some of the fast food franchises that have come and gone throughout the years. Here are a few:
Pizza Hut
At the moment, El Rigoberto’s occupies both of the old Pizza Hut locations. The White Rock location is distinctive. Who doesn’t remember that red topped, rectangular building style that defined the look of Pizza Hut starting in 1969 when the restaurant did a massive expansion and went from a small town pizzeria to a household name. The location at 166 Central Park Square underwent a refacing when the entire complex was renovated, but it originally had a red roof façade that identified it instantly as a Pizza Hut. Now, if you walk inside and take a look around, you can still see the outline of everyone’s favorite pizza chain in the floor plan, tile, and especially at the order counter.
McDonald’s
It isn’t difficult to identify our only recently vacated McDonald’s building on Trinity Drive. It’s just a hop, skip, and a jump from the brand new location with its modern double drive through lanes. But what you might not have immediately realized is that at one time there was a second location built in White Rock. It was popular with parents of tiny tots thanks to the ball pit and the enormous PlayPlace. In later years, Time Out Pizza operated out of that space and what was once the popular McDonald’s PlayPlace became their wonderful arcade.
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Ever headed to Viola’s for a scrumptious Indian Taco or a Dallas Burrito and felt a vague sense of déjà vu? That’s because Viola’s is in the building once occupied by popular chain Kentucky Fried Chicken. Many of the booths are reminders of the building’s original start as the popular chicken franchise. The closest KFC these days is down in Española on North Riverside Dr. All things considered, some of us might not trade our local source for Stuffed Sopaipillas and Carne Adovada for buckets of fried chicken. Sometimes I wish we could have them all!
Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors
Oh yes. That’s right. Daniel’s Cafe & Mary’s Gelato used to be Baskin Robbins. And that was the second location. The first location was over behind Time Out Pizza’s new Los Alamos location, this space has been home to everything from a print shop to Quest Diagnostics. Back in the day, it was a rather handy place to grab an ice cream after Saturday soccer games at the field just across Nectar Street. If you’re curious as to why 31 Flavors is no more, you might try asking Daniel Sena of Daniel’s Cafe. On the other hand, if you’ve ever tasted some of the hand-dipped gelato or experienced the amazing breakfast burritos on offer at Daniel’s, you might be glad he made the choice he did.
Taco Bell
What?? You might be sifting through your mental inventory of buildings in Los Alamos and coming up blank. That’s because the old Taco Bell used to occupy a lot now hosting O’Reilly’s Auto Parts. If you’ve been in Los Alamos long enough to forget this building, it was a traditional Taco Bell that included the vintage style sign and design pictured above. When Taco Bell closed, the building eventually housed Hot Shots, owned and operated by Mike Smith who also operated Los Alamos favorite The Hill Diner (originally named Good Eats). Alas, when Taco Bell rebranded their look, our Taco Bell closed. For those of us who really enjoyed making a “run for the border”, it was sorely missed!
Now, that isn’t all of the fast food chains that have ghosted in and our of our fair city. Along with the Sonic, Starbucks, & Subway we currently enjoy, we’ve hosted Quizno’s and even an A&W (in the building where Pig & Fig is now). The good news is that we are growing. Not only that, but our county council is listening to the concerns and needs of members of our community. There are plans for more retail and more restaurants, and when this pandemic is behind us, we might even get that Wendy’s!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this trip back in time and remember, if you want to talk Los Alamos past, present, or future, give me a call! I love my hometown and I’d welcome any opportunity to help you find a place to call home in Los Alamos County.
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