ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – If you live in Albuquerque, it won’t be long before you can enjoy some homemade Italian dishes from Joe’s Pasta House.

Joe’s Pasta House is making big moves ahead of their second restaurant opening.

“We have to hire 50 to 60 people in the next month with the new restaurant and that is an overwhelming number of resumes to go through, there is a ton of opportunity,” said Nadeem Shariff, owner of Joe’s Pasta House.

To speed things up, the owners hosted a hiring event Friday morning at their Rio Rancho location.

“It is a big economic impact to bring in that many people that quickly into a restaurant. So that is probably my only job right now, is focusing on hiring and bringing in talent from New Mexico,” said Shariff.

Shariff added part of the challenge is making sure the next location off Paseo and Louisiana is just as authentic. The head chef will be moving to Albuquerque to make the transition smooth.

“There is something about the way the Rio Rancho restaurant looks, feels, and smells that those are the intangibles that are hard to replicate, so we are doing our best. The main thing we can control is keeping the menu, keeping the culture, keeping the recipes,” Shariff said.

However, there is something new in store for the second restaurant.

“We’re expecting to open by May 15, the new location will have a full bar versus a beer and wine menu,” said Shellie Corlew, general manager of the Albuquerque Joe’s Pasta House.

People will also get to host celebrations and banquets at the new location on their patio, just like the one in Rio Rancho.

“We are very family oriented, and I’m just excited to be part of this team. It’s just exciting from the ground up to be able to be part of this and be part of it for so many years ahead of me,” said Corlew.