After the Student Union Building closed for construction last year, many kiosks popped up around campus offering much of the same food.
Now, Tortilla Fresca offers the UNM community a fresh alternative.
Tortilla Fresca, formerly known as SUB West, quietly opened its doors on Aug. 20. Along with offering Mexican dishes such as fajitas, quesadillas and burritos, the restaurant also has a new atmosphere.
The walls are splashed with red, green and blue paint. Vegetable pattern wallpaper covers a portion of the inside, and employees bustle around in their green and red chile-printed uniforms.
Tortilla Fresca is on the southwest side of campus near Regener Hall and is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Rob Winning, retail outlets manager, said that after the SUB closed, a lot of marketing research was conducted to determine what the renovated SUB should offer.
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"The research helped us to figure out what people want on college campuses," Winning said. "They all want the same thing. They want consistent quality, consistent price and availability."
Tortilla Fresca is an Aramark food service franchise on college campuses around the United States, Winning said.
"We were all skeptical but our retail director, Gill Mu§oz, really believed in it," Winning said. "He went to a special franchise school to learn how to run Tortilla Fresca. He also picked out the paint colors, painted the walls and put up the vegetable wallpaper himself."
In addition to lunch, the restaurant has a breakfast menu that includes the Taco Americano, which comes with eggs, bacon and a tortilla for $1.14. Taco, huevos y papas - potatoes and eggs in a taco - costs $1.09.
Food service worker Debbie Griego said that most of the breakfast prices are reasonable for students.
"I think that once students come in here, they'll really like it," Griego said. "You can get a burrito and coffee for under $2. The place is also less dreary and the bold colors stand out - giving students a brighter atmosphere."
Behind the steaming, hot grill is Tortilla Fresca cook, Yvonne Aguilar. Aguilar cooks every order in front of the customers.
"People seem to like the idea of watching me cook their meals," Aguilar said. "But sometimes you have some people looking at their watches wondering when I'm going to be done."
Winning said that Tortilla Fresca plans on offering daily specials with an expanded menu for students and staff.
"We want to set ourselves apart," Winning said. "A portion of our menu offers portobello mushrooms, which is geared toward vegetarians. Hopefully, we will eventually be able to offer an even wider range of food."
Katherine Falzone, a biology major, had an unexpected reaction after experiencing Tortilla Fresca.
"I was pleasantly surprised," Falzone said. "I hadn't been here since it changed but the food was great and the atmosphere was really creative."
Patricia Crown, an anthropology faculty member, said she frequents Tortilla Fresca since she discovered the transformation.
"It's a nice little place and the food is definitely a lot better," Crown said. "I especially enjoy the chile-pattern hats for the employees."
