M’tucci’s Restaurants, a small regional chain in Albuquerque, recently gave details on its plans for the former Kellys Brew Pub property in the city’s Route 66 corridor.
According to Albuquerque Business First, the former Kellys will be rebranded M’tucci’s Bar Roma, with a scheduled reopening of spring 2022.
Because of the property’s landmark status, the exterior of the building will mostly stay the same aside from a new patio. The inside, however, will be a substantial change. The design will be “sharp, sleek and comfortable” compared to a rustic, industrial look that currently occupies the space. The M’tucci’s partners spent about a week in Rome, trying to bring the feel of that city back to Albuquerque and incorporate it into the new restaurant. As an example, instead of a typical doorway, M’tucci’s Bar Roma will have archways throughout.
M’tucci’s will also build out a bar that will seat about 40 people. Throughout the restaurant, M’tucci’s can serve 200-350 guests depending upon the season and access to the patio. In total, about 70-80 employees will work at M’tucci’s Bar Roma. Haas expects hiring to ramp up at the beginning of the year.
Just south of the site will be M’Tucci’s Provisions, where a production facility for its meats, bread, cheeses and more is being relocated from elsewhere in the city.
M’Tucci’s announced in June it would move into the Kellys Brew Pub site.
Kellys Brew Pub was the former Jones Motor Co., built in 1939. Kellys Brewery bought the building in 1999 and restored many of the original design elements, including the Texaco pumps and the original garage doors. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places and remains a city landmark.
A local judge in 2020 ordered two previous owners of Kellys Brew Pub and Restaurant to pay nearly $1.4 million as part of settling a class-action lawsuit that claimed the establishment underpaid its employees. The settlement stated the previous owners admitted no wrongdoing in the case.
(Image of Kellys Brew Pub in Albuquerque by Second-Half Travels via Flickr)