ARTICLES/BLOGS
Cannabis Beverages: A Growing Opportunity for New Mexico Restaurant
UPDATE: In a new development, the Senate’s Continuing Resolution includes a short delay to the upcoming federal hemp restrictions — pushing the effective date from November 12 to December 11, 2026. Senators rejected an amendment to remove the delay, keeping today’s...
Adopted New Mexico Food Code Changes (2026 Update)
The New Mexico Environment Department has updated parts of the food establishment rules that affect permits, renewals, plan review, and reinspections. You will remember that NMRA fought this change. We testified and sent more than 80 letters in opposition to the...
Music Licensing for Restaurants
Almost every restaurant or bar that plays music needs licenses from the performing rights organizations (PROs) that represent it. Music elevates the dining experience, and studies consistently show it increases the time and money customers spend, but playing it...
New Mexico ABCD Warns Licensees of Renewal‑Fee Scam
The Alcoholic Beverage Control Division has issued an alert regarding a fraudulent renewal‑fee email circulating to license holders across New Mexico. The scam message impersonates the New Mexico Regulation & Licensing Department and references ABC personnel in an...
NMRA CEO Job Description
Join Our Team We're Hiring a Chief Executive Officer The New Mexico Restaurant Association (NMRA) is searching for an exceptional leader to serve as our next Chief Executive Officer. This is a rare and exciting opportunity to lead New Mexico's premier restaurant and...
NMRA CEO Carol Wight Announces Retirement
After 25 years championing New Mexico’s restaurant community, New Mexico Restaurant Association CEO Carol Wight will retire at the end of the year, bringing to a close a career defined by advocacy, resilience, and heart. Wight, a former restaurateur who stepped into...
NMRA Explains Albuquerque Minimum Wage Increase
Thank you to the employers, restaurant owners, nonprofits, industry groups, and community organizations that stepped into the Albuquerque minimum wage discussion over the past week. The environment was loud, emotional, and at times raucous — but through it all, the...
Albuquerque Deserves a Real Debate on Minimum Wage
How to sign up to speak at an Albuquerque City Council meeting Use the City Council public‑comment webformThe City requires everyone to sign up using the online form linked from the Public Comments page. The form goes live when the meeting agenda is published this...
NMRA Comments on the Proposed 2026 Amendments to the Albuquerque Food Service and Retail Ordinance Rules
Official Comments of the New Mexico Restaurant Association on the Proposed 2026 Amendments to the Albuquerque Food Service and Retail Ordinance Rules The New Mexico Restaurant Association (NMRA) respectfully submits these comments on the proposed 2026 amendments to...
Get your IRS Penalty Refund
Did you receive IRS notices for tax years 2020 to 2023? Did you pay penalties for filing a late return or paying your taxes late? Penalties and interest from the IRS can be a frustration for many business owners. But, what if you could get that money back? APPLY BY...
Raising the Bar: A Practical Playbook for Restaurant Drink Sales
Why Alcohol Sales Are Down Alcohol has long been a profit engine for restaurants, but operators across New Mexico and the U.S. are seeing meaningful declines in on‑premise drink sales. Several forces are converging: More guests are choosing not to drink at all,...
2026 Dept. of Labor Resources & Webinar
Employment and labor laws set strict expectations for how restaurants manage hiring, wages, scheduling, and recordkeeping, and the federal rules can differ in ways that make compliance anything but simple. To help operators navigate those requirements with confidence,...
Falling Alcohol Sales: What’s Really Going On (And What You Can Do About It)
Restaurant owners across New Mexico—and the U.S.—are saying the same thing: “My alcohol sales just aren’t what they used to be.” In many markets, operators are seeing double‑digit drops in alcohol mix, even when traffic looks steady. New Mexico is feeling this shift...
2026 ProStart Invitational
Congratulations to the winners from the 23rd Annual New Mexico ProStart Invitational. Carlsbad High School Culinary & Management Teams will be on their way to Nationals, April 24-26 in Baltimore. The teams will compete against other qualifying teams from across...
2026 Legislative Wrap-Up
The 2026 legislative session has officially wrapped up, and the good news for restaurants is that no major legislation directly affecting our industry advanced this year. The proposed liquor excise tax bill did not even receive a hearing, so there are no new liquor...
2026 Legislative Session: What It Means for New Mexico Restaurants
At noon on Tuesday, January 20, the New Mexico Legislature convened its 30-day “budget” session — a short, fast-paced period largely focused on the state’s financial priorities. However, many expect the agenda to extend far beyond the budget. Because this is Governor...
NMRA Members Only: Get Your Free Badge for the NRA Show
Are you a member of NMRA? If so, claim Your FREE Badge for the National Restaurant Association Show! Discover new ways to optimize your menu and lower expenses while delivering exceptional guest experiences at the 2026 National Restaurant Association Show taking...
New Year Means a New Start to Make Your Restaurant Thrive
A new year always brings a sense of renewal — a chance to reset, refocus, and recommit to the things that matter most. For restaurant owners and operators, that often means finding ways to work smarter, reduce stress, and strengthen the bottom line. One of the most...
2025 Holiday Letter from the CEO
Dear NMRA Members, As 2025 comes to a close, I want to take a moment to recognize each of you—the dedicated restaurant owners, chefs, managers, and hospitality professionals who make New Mexico’s dining scene one of the most vibrant and resilient in the country. This...
Penny Panic: New Mexico Restaurants Need a Federal Fix
If you’ve tried giving exact change lately, you’ve felt it: the penny is disappearing. The U.S. Mint stopped producing them earlier this year, and the federal government is no longer recirculating existing coins through banks. That’s left restaurants across New Mexico...
