Local restaurant expands

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Sadies of New Mexico which has been a part of Albuquerque for 58 years has opened a third location inside the Santa Ana Star Casino bringing with it 130 jobs.

Sadies nephew, William Stafford and his wife Amanda are running the new restaurant which opened at the end of April. Stafford says the casino came to his family with the proposed partnership.

"We surveyed our customers, surveyed our own team members and went out into the marketplace to find out which was the popular restaurant what they were most likely to visit and Sadies kept coming up on the top of the list," says Santa Ana Star Casino General Manager John Cirrincione

The first Sadies was opened in 1954 in a tiny building on 2nd Street and Osuna, in the 1970's it moved into a larger building across the street, then into the Valley bowling alley on 4th street. In 1990 the family broke ground on the big building on 4th street and Solar where Sadies still sits today. Through all this there has only been one Sadies until 2009 when the family decided to open a second location on Eubank. That location is run by a close family friend.

Stafford says the decision to expand again was a simple one.

"We moved into the Eubank location and it's been packed, we've moved into this location and it's been packed" says Stafford.

The Sadies family works very hard to ensure that Sadies lives on in its original form

"We have been consistent for 50 some years now and it's the food. People can get the same Roberto special or burrito plate they got 20 years ago, 30 years ago." says Stafford

You will also find family members at all of the restaurants on a regular basis making sure the recipes are right. Sadies sister, Betty-Jo who was key in turning Sadies into what it is today, makes regular visits to the restaurants. Her late husband's picture hangs on the wall, just like "Sadies" does.

William Stafford says his family is very proud to be able to expand the Sadies name but they're also proud to be creating jobs with the help of Santa Ana Star Casino. The newest restaurant employs about 130 people and Stafford says the family is already talking about expanding even more.