THIS ROUTE DEALING WITH CONSTRUCTION FOR THE

ALBUQUERQUE RAPID TRANSIT PROJECT, RIGHT AT THEIR FRONT

DOOR.

I AM JOINED AT THE TABLE BY GABRIEL AMADOR, CO-OWNER OF

AMORE NEAPOLITAN PIZZERIA, WHICH HAS LOCATIONS IN THE

GREEN JEANS FARMERY AND AT CARLISLE AND I-40 AND COUNTRY

CLUB PLAZA ON CENTRAL AVENUE IN WEST DOWNTOWN.

AND COLLIN TROY IS CO-OWNER OF THE OCTOPUS AND FOX AND

ARTISAN STORE ON CENTRAL AVENUE IN THE ETO DISTRICTS,

EAST OF DOWNTOWN.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

>> SO, LET'S START WITH THE BIG QUESTION.

HAVE YOU TAKEN A FINANCIAL HIT DURING THE ART CONSTRUCTION?

GABRIEL, START WITH YOU?

>> WELL, YEAH, DEFINITELY WE HAVE.

IT IS KIND OF HARD FOR US TO GAUGE A PERCENTAGE BECAUSE WE

WERE STILL A NEW BUSINESS WHEN THE CONSTRUCTION STARTED.

>> WHEN DID YOU OPEN YOUR LOCATION?

>> WE OPENED IN JUNE AND WE OPENED IN JUNE SO WE WERE

STILL GETTING THAT LITTLE RAMP UP OF BUSINESS AND BUILDING

CLIENTELE AND THEN OCTOBER WAS WHEN THE CONES WENT UP IN

FRONT US AND OUR BUSINESS REALLY DID KIND OF TAPER OFF

FROM THAT POINT.

>> COLLIN -- I AM SORRY.

>> WE DROPPED, I WOULD SAY, PROBABLY 20% BUT WE WERE AT A

POINT WHERE WE WERE STILL TRYING TO BUILD AND WEREN'T

CLOSE TO WHERE WE NEEDED TO BE OR SHOULD BE YET, SO WE HAVE

NEVER BEEN ABLE TO GET TO THE BASELINE WHERE WE SHOULD BE.

>> YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN AROUND SINCE 2013, YOU HAD A LOCAL

BRAND NAME.

>> YES.

>> COLLIN, WHAT ABOUT YOU?

>> AS FAR AS FINANCIAL HIT IT HAS BEEN NEAR A DISASTER FOR

OUR SHOP.

>> SIMILAR FOR GABRIEL, THE CONSTRUCTION STARTED IN MID

OCTOBER AND WE ALWAYS WERE CURIOUS HOW IT WOULD AFFECT

US.

AT FIRST IT MADE BUSINESS VERY UNPREDICTABLE, YOU KNOW, JUST

ALL OF THE KIND OF TRAFFIC THAT WE COULD RELY ON STARTED

TO CHANGE AND THEN IN LATE FEBRUARY, IN FRONT OF OUR

STORE, RIGHT THERE ON CENTRAL AND EDITH, THE CONSTRUCTION

REALLY INTENSIFIED AND IT MADE IT NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET IN

THE STORE BUT IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE.

AND, FROM WHEN CONSTRUCTION REALLY INTENSIFIED THERE IN

THE MIDDLE TO LATE FEBRUARY, WE SAW 60% REDUCTION IN SALES

IN MARCH AND -- >> THAT IS FROM LAST YEAR?

WOW, OKAY.

>> I THINK YOU SAID ON YOUR -- ONE OF YOUR VIDEOS THAT LAST

YEAR WAS YOUR BEST YEAR.

YOU HAVE BEEN OPEN FOR FIVE OR SIX YEARS.

I WANT TO MAKE IT ALSO JUST HAVE YOU EXPLAIN YOUR

INVENTORY IS CREATED BY LOCAL ARTISTS.

YOU'RE NOT QUITE A CO-OP BUT BASICALLY DOING CONSIGNMENT

WORK AND IT IS NOT JUST YOU LOSING MONEY, IT IS LOCAL

ARTISTS WHO PUT STUFF IN YOUR STORE TO SELL.

>> ABSOLUTELY, YEAH.

IT IS A CONSIGNMENT DEAL AND IT IS VERY GENEROUS TO THE

ARTISTS.

WE DEAL WITH OVER 40 ARTISTS IN THE STORE AND, YEAH, THE

ECONOMY OF OUR SHOP DOES, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT A NUMBER OF

ARTISAN FAMILIES AND MAKERS ALL AROUND TOWN AND SO IT IS

AFFECTING EVERYBODY.

>> ARE YOU EVEN PULLING STUFF OUT BECAUSE OF THAT?

>> NOT YET, NO.

WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A VERY LOYAL SUPPORTIVE GROUP OF

ARTISTS AND CUSTOMERS AND SO FAR, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP

OUR STOCK IN THE SHOP.

>> GABRIEL, YOUR LOCATION IN WEST DOWNTOWN, YOU SAY WAS

GETTING ESTABLISHED ALONG WITH SOME OTHER NEW RESTAURANTS.

DO YOU THINK THE TIMING OF THE CONSTRUCTION HAD A ROLE IN

ESTABLISHING REGULAR PATRONS TO AMORE AND OTHER RESTAURANTS

AROUND YOU?

YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE AS LONG AS DURANS.

>> WITH BUSINESSES IN WEST DOWNTOWN, THERE IS A LOT OF

OLD ONES BUT A LOT OF NEW ONES AND IT IS A RAPIDLY CHANGING

AREA.

A LOT LIKE WITH THE ARTS AND CULTURE DISTRICT, WHERE WE ARE

DEFINITELY ALIGNED WITH THEM AND CLOSE, AND I THINK WHEN IT

COMES DOWN TO IT, BUSINESSES THERE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE ALL

SUFFERED.

THEY HAVE ALL TAKEN A HIT AS FAR AS THEIR BUSINESS, I

THINK, YOU KNOW, IT IS DIFFERENT TO ABSORB THAT FOR

NEWER BUSINESSES AS OPPOSED TO AN ESTABLISHED BUSINESS,

DEFINITELY.

BECAUSE IT IS HARD TO BUILD CLIENTELE THROUGH SOMETHING

LIKE THAT AS OPPOSED TO WHEN YOU HAVE THAT ESTABLISHED

CLIENTELE THAT IS THERE TO SUPPORT YOU AND GET YOU

THROUGH IT. AND WE HAVE GOTTEN THAT AS

WELL, BUT, AS FAR AS, YEAH, THE AFFECT ON IT, IT HAS

BEEN -- I THINK IT HAS BEEN WIDESPREAD ACROSS ALL THE

BUSINESSES THERE, OLD AND NOW.

>> YOU'RE A PART OF A GROUP IN WEST DOWNTOWN BUSINESS OWNERS.

YOU CAME TOGETHER DURING CONSTRUCTION AND TALK ABOUT

ART AND OTHER THINGS.

WHAT IS THE GROUP'S FOCUS RIGHT NOW?

>> WELL, ORIGINALLY WE GOT TOGETHER AND IT WAS REALLY

ABOUT GETTING THROUGH ART AND FINDING A WAY TO ADVERTISE

THROUGH THAT, SOMEHOW WORK TOGETHER TO GET THROUGH IT,

YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY, AND TRY TO SURVIVE.

AND IT IS REALLY KIND OF CHANGED FROM THAT BECAUSE THAT

IS WHAT IT STARTED AS.

WE ARE FOCUSED ON DOING THINGS TO GET US THROUGH THE

CONSTRUCTION BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE DONE A LOT MORE.

WE ARE LOOKING NOW TOWARDS FUTURE AND HOW TO BUILD AND

REALLY WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY THERE BECAUSE IT IS KIND

UNIQUE AND SPECIAL THING.

WE ARE ALL COMPETING BUSINESSES WORKING TOGETHER

AND THAT IS UNIQUE THING, PARTICULARLY WITH RESTAURANTS.

THERE IS A LOT OF COMPETITION FACTOR IN THAT AND IT IS

UNIQUE BECAUSE THEY ARE BRINGING POSITIVE ENERGY TO

THE MEETINGS AND WORKING TOGETHER AND I THINK IT IS

REALLY A MENTALITY OF LOOKING AT THE SETUP AS IF THE TIDE

RISES, ALL THE BOATS RISE WITH IT.

THAT IS WHAT WE FOCUS ON AND TRYING TO, AGAIN, BUILD FOR

THE FUTURE, GET THROUGH THIS AND MAKE SURE IT IS BETTER ON

THE OTHER SIDE.

>> OCTOPUS AND FOX HAS A CROWD FUNDING CAMPAIGN UP NOW AND

YOUR PAGE CALLED ART, QUOTE, INVASIVE AND CONTROVERSIAL.

ARE YOU AGAINST THE BUS LINE OR AGAINST HOW IT WAS ROLLED

OUT BY THE CITY?

>> DEFINITELY NOT AGAINST THE BUS LINE.

OBVIOUSLY, THINGS CHANGE AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE CITY

IMPROVEMENTS AND WE ARE CAREFUL NOT TO BE TOO CRITICAL

OF THE PROJECT FROM OUR STANDPOINT AS A BUSINESS, YOU

KNOW.

OBVIOUSLY WE ARE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE.

THE ROLL OUT HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT ON US.

THROUGHOUT THE COURSE FROM BEGINNING TO NOW, WE HAVE

NEVER HAD A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF TIME FRAMES,

SCOPE, YOU KNOW, NOBODY REALLY WAS ABLE TO GIVE STRAIGHT

ANSWERS OR WHEN WE DID GET STRAIGHT ANSWERS, THOSE WOULD

CHANGE VERY QUICKLY.

SO -- >> NOT UNUSUAL IN CONSTRUCTION

PROJECTS BUT IT DOES IMPACT EVERYBODY ESPECIALLY IN THIS

ONE.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THE BIGGEST, YOU KNOW, I GUESS, TO ANSWER YOUR

QUESTION, YOU KNOW, YEAH, WE'RE NOT AGAINST IT BUT THE

ROLL OUT, I THINK, COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED DIFFERENTLY AND

AT LEAST, FOR OUR SECTION OF THE STREET, WHICH IS SOME VERY

INTENSE CONSTRUCTION GOING ON RIGHT NOW, A CLEAR PICTURE OF

WHAT THAT WOULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE

HELPED US PREPARE.

>> GABRIEL WHAT ABOUT YOU?

WOULD YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF AGAINST THE PROJECT OR MORE

ABOUT HOW IT WAS ROLLED OUT, THE SCOPE?

>> WHEN IT COMES TO THE PROJECT, I DON'T REALLY TAKE A

STANCE ON IT FOR OR AGAINST.

I THINK IT IS GOOD TO HAVE PUBLIC TRANSIT AND WE NEED

MORE OF IT.

I THINK THERE IS PROBABLY A LOT OF OPTIONS AND THINGS THAT

COULD HAVE BEEN DONE FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT.

AS FAR AS WHETHER THIS WAS BEST ONE OR NOT, I AM NOT THE

ONE TO DECIDE THAT.

>> ARE YOU HAVING THE SAME ISSUES IN TERMS, YOU KNOW, OF

THE STREET IS WIDER WHERE YOU GUYS ARE.

IS IT LIKE WHAT IS GOING ON TODAY.

>> THE INFORMATION HASN'T BEEN CONSISTENT AND WHEN WE GET

INFORMATION IT HAS CHANGED OVER TIME.

SO, THAT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT, IT IS HARD TO WORK WITH THAT.

AS A BUSINESS WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO FORECAST AND PLAN

AHEAD AND YOU KNOW WITH EVERYTHING FROM INVENTORY AND

STAFF AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WAY.

SO IT IS HARD TO DO THAT WHEN THE INFORMATION COMING TO US

ISN'T CORRECT, AS FAR AS TIME LINES AND THAT KIND OF STUFF.

WE WERE TOLD NOTHING WAS STARTING UNTIL JANUARY AND

CONES WENT UP IN OCTOBER.

>> WHAT COULD THE CITY HAVE DONE BETTER BESIDES GIVING YOU

THE ACTUAL START DATE.

>> I THINK THERE IS OPTIONS THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE,

THINGS LIKE, CITY'S DOING FREE ADVERTISING TO AFFECTED

BUSINESSES ON PUBLIC BUSES OR CITY BUSES, THAT KIND OF

THING.

YOU KNOW THEY HAVE HAD SOME REALLY BIG TRANSIT PROJECTS

AND THEY HAVE DONE A LOT TO SUPPORT THE BUSINESSES THROUGH

THAT AND IT SEEMS HERE THEY HAVE HAD A LOT OF IDEAS ON

THINGS TO DO TO SUPPORT THE BUSINESS BUT THE MONEY IS

ALWAYS NOT THERE WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT THOSE.

>> COLLIN, WHAT ABOUT YOU?

SOME THINGS YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SEEN THE CITY DO?

>> IT IS HARD TO SAY AT THIS POINT.

OTHER THAN CLEARER COMMUNICATION TO US.

THE SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED, WE HAVE APPRECIATED.

WE HAVE SEEN BILLBOARDS UP, BUT, FOR US, IT DOESN'T

CHANGE.

THE CONSTRUCTION IS TWO FEET OUT IN FRONT OF OUR DOOR AND

PEOPLE CAN'T GET INTO THE STORE.

>> I KNOW YOU'RE DOING A CROWD FUNDING CAMPAIGN FOR SUPPORT

DURING CONSTRUCTION.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO DO THAT AND ARE YOU ALSO LOOKING TO

GET A LOAN FROM THIS PROGRAM THE CITY SAYS THEY ARE GOING

TO HAVE.

>> YEAH, I MEAN, AS FAR AS THE CROWD FUNDING, WE HAD TO MAKE

A DECISION WHETHER WE WERE GOING TO STAY OPEN OR NOT AND

OBVIOUSLY CROWD FUNDING IS AN OPTION FOR ANY BUSINESS AND WE

BELIEVED THAT THE GOODWILL OF OUR CUSTOMERS AND THE

COMMUNITY AROUND THE STORE THAT WOULD COME THROUGH FOR US

AND REALLY HELP TO AT LEAST BUY US A FEW MONTHS TO SEE

WHAT HAPPENS AND THAT HAS BEEN THE EFFORT.

AND IN THE CROWD FUNDING CAMPAIGN TOO WE ARE NOT MAKING

IT JUST ABOUT OUR STORE BUT THE CONCEPT OF THE CAMPAIGN IS

TO SUPPORT ALL THE BUSINESSES UP AND DOWN CENTRAL AFFECTED.

>> WILL YOU TRY TO GET A LOAN EVEN THOUGH THE CITY HASN'T

QUITE ROLLED THAT OUT YET?

>> WE HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE LOANS AND AT THIS POINT WE

DON'T KNOW IF -- I MEAN, THE IDEA OF GOING INTO DEBT TO

KEEP A SHOP AFLOAT FOR US AT THIS POINT IS SOMETHING THAT

WE'RE CONSIDERING BUT WE JUST DON'T KNOW THE FUTURE SO AT

THIS POINT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IT ON OUR OWN BUT CERTAINLY

OPEN TO IT.

>> SO, LOOKING AHEAD TO THE SUMMER, WHAT IS IMPORTANT FOR

YOUR BUSINESSES RIGHT NOW?

>> I THINK REALLY JUST TRYING TO GET THROUGH IT AND WEATHER

THE STORM AND HOPEFULLY HAVE SOME BIG PUSH AT THE END OF IT

THERE AND HOPEFULLY PEOPLE WILL START COMING BACK TO

CENTRAL.

THAT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS.

WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE THEY ARE NOT GOING NO NECESSARILY FLOCK

RIGHT BACK TO THEIR REGULAR ROUTINE AND GOING BACK TO

PLACES ON CENTRAL WILL HAPPEN SLOWLY AND MAYBE THE CITY HAS

AN OPPORTUNITY ON THAT SIDE OF IT TO REALLY DO SOMETHING TO

DRIVE PEOPLE TO THOSE BUSINESSES THAT ARE AFFECTED

AND WE ARE ABLE TO MAKE IT THROUGH IT, BECAUSE THERE IS A

LOT THAT DIDN'T TOO.

>> WHAT BUT YOU?

IS THERE A POINT WHERE YOU JUST CLOSE YOUR DOORS?

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?

>> OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE SUMMER.

WE'RE HOPING THAT OBVIOUSLY TRAFFIC IS JUST NOT THERE ON

CENTRAL AND WE ARE HOPING JUST FOR A LITTLE BIT THAT

CONSTRUCTION CAN MOVE TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET.

RIGHT NOW IT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE DOOR.