Imagine being on the brink of opening a food hall, what could’ve been the 1st in NM and one you’ve had on your mind for years, and then a pandemic hits. Well, that’s part of the story that CHOMP proprietor Ken Joseph will share with us on August 5th. Though the Sawmill Market in ABQ snagged the claim of NM’s 1st food hall, CHOMP is Santa Fe's 1st, and we’re lucky to have it. Not only does the public get the benefit of a sweet community gathering spot, but with vendor startup costs within food halls typically a fraction of a full-service restaurant, through CHOMP Ken’s providing our local entrepreneurs with a truly sweet opportunity.

 You can often find Ken serving up some of Santa Fe’s finest at Bottega del Vino, his beautifully arranged bar featuring practically priced fine wine by the glass, beer and Route 66 themed cocktails. You’ll also find The Artisan's Bottega, where you can stock up on organic Italian imports, bath & body products and Artisan made jewelry by the Bottega’s owner herself, Mary Beth Bartlett. As a special treat on the 5th, we’ll get to hear some of Mary Beth’s story as well as some of Beverly Crespin’s story, as she’s set to open Dragonfly Tea House at CHOMP by the end of this month.

 And bring your appetite so you can indulge in food from Chef Nath's Inspired Khmer Cuisine, Ocean Real Sushi or Chef Ahmed’s Jambo Café. Serum Juice Bar will be open by then as well, but we may have to come back at a later date to savor the wood fired pizza Bottega del Forno plans to be serving up soon.

Schmoozing happens from 6:30-7 PM, so be sure you have enough time to grab some food, chat and check out Mary Beth’s Bottega as well as the Marketplace at CHOMP, featuring a wide range of items, including artisanal prepared or to-go food items, skin products, fine crafts and more from 20 local micro entrepreneurs and artists before gettin’ yourself some of Beverly’s Dragonfly Tea🫖 or an 🍷adult beverage🍻 from Ken’s bar. We’ll start Story Time around 7 PM and should have plenty of time for your questions. Oh, and be sure to look your best, cause we’re going to be capturing this KAESF event on video 🎥 to collect some superb b-roll so we can put together a short piece that’ll help others see how amazing KAE Story Time events could be in their community. 😊