New experiences with New Nuevo

Jun. 24—Trying to find a new restaurant or activity in New Mexico can be daunting. How do you decide on what new bar or restaurant to try?

New Nuevo aims to answer that. Owned by Albuquerque locals Arlene Armijo and David Stroud, New Nuevo focuses on curating experiences to help everyone experience the fun and food New Mexico has to offer.

Avid travelers, Armijo and Stroud had seen curative experiences in other cities as a way to help locals and tourists alike find local gems.

Arlene had previously worked for a nonprofit and said her experience made her more interested in the community . Stroud had worked in event coordinating and helped organize events like ABQ Corks and Brews.

"We were both hungry for things to do within our community," Armijo said. "We were both already doing events, figuring out how to create things so this came very naturally," she said.

The two were set to open New Nuevo in March of 2020, but when the pandemic came they decided to adapt to new circumstances.

"We decided to pivot and we decided we would do at home experiences," Stroud said. "When we started, we wanted to get experiences that showcase local businesses."

Stroud and Armijo decided if customers couldn't go to New Nuevo for experiences, New Nuevo would come to them. New Nuevo would send out curated boxes to homes, which were complete with different snacks and drinks from local stores .

"The idea was that you and your friends or family could get a box and enjoy a virtual dinner together," Stroud said. "We wanted to help out local businesses during the pandemic and let people enjoy what they could."

Armijo and Stroud reach out to local businesses to see if they are interested in partnering. The two pitch ideas to businesses and the businesses will give ideas on events they want to do.

"When we share ideas with partners, they give us ideas and ask us how we can make it a reality. It always unfolds organically and I think it's because we are collaborative in everything that we do," Armijo said.

In the past, New Nuevo has had a variety of experiences to book along with free activities outside their store.

"Right now, we have ongoing cocktail classes with Teddy Roe's. We do a free monthly yoga on our store patio. We also have plans for larger events in September like food and wine weeks," Stroud said.

Besides their experiences, the New Nuevo store in Old Town holds a variety of local items for sale. The store still sells curated boxes like the NM Chile Box or their cocktail kit, and is solely ran by Stroud and Armijo.

Customers can also build their own box with items sold in the store. There are accessories, jewelry, candles and many other things to choose from. The store also sells curated corporate boxes, which are intended to be created for co-workers, employees and clients.

New Nuevo is also in the process of bringing back their food tours, where participants can enjoy a food and drink tour from local restaurants.

"We collaborate with restaurants to make experiences as affordable as possible. We want all walks of life to experience the city with us," Stroud said. "That's why we do our free patio yoga. Health and wellness is one of the things we try to keep low cost and accessible as possible, but we try to make sure our partners make money."

Sometimes, this means that New Nuevo doesn't make as much money as they hope for, but the owners said it is about building connections and letting people enjoy Albuquerque.

"For us, we celebrate all that is local and good. It's easy to buy things on Amazon or get fast food, sure. But when you order from a small business, they are appreciative and thankful," Armijo said. "We get so excited when we get orders and consumer support, and that's why it this matters."