ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It’s the moment a lot of traveling foodies have been waiting for, the new food hall at the Albuquerque Sunport is open.

It isn’t completely finished, but holiday travelers will have four new spots to grab a bite. And while that might not sound like much, it’s more options than we had before during all those renovations.

Right when you pass security, you’ll see a new spot for the iconic Dream of Flight statue and new restaurants.

Sunport officials and Mayor Tim Keller unveiled the four new locations in the new food hall Monday:  Flavor of New Mexico, Rush of Prana, Panda Express and Dunkin’.

“At the beginning of 2022 we had a vision of making a change here at the Sunport. And that vision was also to take into consideration the sense of place in Albuquerque and New Mexico,” the city’s Director of Aviation Richard McCurley said.

McCurley also said they wanted to incorporate New Mexican culture and food, and he believes this project hits that goal. Some passengers noticed the four new options right away. 

“Everything looked different. My wife and I, right away, said, ‘What’s going on?'” Darren Watson said. 

Watson and his wife fly through the Sunport a few times a year to visit family. He thinks even phase 1 of the food hall is an improvement because there weren’t many choices before.

“You got quite a few options. Kind of fun you have a donut spot, you know, this healthy smoothie place, a little bit of everything going on here,” Watson continued. “So I think that’s a good change because, you know, a lot of times you get to the airport early.”

The Dream of Flight Statue is one of the main focal points in the hall, too. And now it sits on a stage. So as you wait for your flight, you can hear from performers like Jason Younis.

“This stage eventually is going to host musicians, demonstrating, artists, storytellers, all those things that are just touch points to our unique culture and traditions,” Younis said.

He explained moving the statue and adding a stage, gives people a chance to really sit and enjoy.

“What’s wonderful about this space it’s accessible, and it’s opened up to where there’s seating, where it’s not a passing through,” Younis said.

This is also just the beginning with more restaurants and shops on the way.

“We’re committed to roughly an 80% local mix, and that also includes extremely small micro vendors,” Mayor Tim Keller said.

Teller says Spirits is expected to open later this month and other locations like Cheese & Coffee, Steel Bender Brewery and more are expected to open throughout 2025.