Fiesta Azul Tequila House plans to open a location at 3109 Central Avenue NE in Albuquerque's Nob Hill district, the building that formerly housed Yanni's Mediterranean Grill and, most recently, the lounge Oak and Ivy, according to an April 2026 report from the hyperlocal outlet Nob Hill News.
The family-owned chain confirmed the move by posting two "coming soon" signs on the property's exterior, the outlet reported, without disclosing a lease term, an opening date, or the scope of planned renovations.
What has occupied the Nob Hill address before
The Central Avenue building spent years as Yanni's Mediterranean Grill, a restaurant local coverage described as an institution in the corridor. Valerie Osbourn, executive director of Nob Hill Mainstreet, told Albuquerque's KRQE that the neighborhood was caught off guard by the closure, saying people were sad and shocked when Yanni's shut its doors. Oak and Ivy, a cocktail-focused lounge, then took over the space. Operating partner Gerald Zamora told KRQE at the time that the concept was aimed at an upscale nightlife experience rather than a nightclub. Nob Hill News's April 2026 report described the storefront as formerly Yanni's and most recently Oak and Ivy, indicating that second tenant has also since vacated, though neither outlet has published a closure date for Oak and Ivy.
Who runs Fiesta Azul Tequila House
Fiesta Azul Tequila House was founded in 2020 in Melbourne, Florida, by husband-and-wife owners Jose Sanchez and Ivonne Orona, an Albuquerque native, according to Su Casa Magazine. The company's own website states the brand has since expanded to St. Cloud and Altamonte Springs, Florida, before opening its first New Mexico location on Montgomery Boulevard NE in Albuquerque in October 2024. That location spans roughly 11,000 square feet across three levels with two patios and a private event space for up to 100 guests, per Su Casa Magazine's account, and the company markets a tequila list it describes as featuring over 130 selections, spanning tequila, mezcal and sotol. Customer review volume for the Montgomery Boulevard restaurant varies by platform, with Yelp showing a 3.9 rating from 129 reviews and Tripadvisor listings for the same address ranging from 2.4 to 2.9.
What is confirmed and what remains open
Confirmed so far: signage bearing the Fiesta Azul name has gone up at the 3109 Central Avenue NE address, and the company's existing footprint spans four locations across Florida and New Mexico. Not yet confirmed by any outlet: a signed lease, build-out timeline, projected opening date, seating capacity for the Nob Hill location, or whether the new restaurant will mirror the scale of the Montgomery Boulevard property. No additional wire service or trade outlet has independently corroborated the Nob Hill News report at this writing, and Fiesta Azul has not issued its own public statement on the expansion.
What this means
A high-visibility tequila-and-Mexican-food concept moving into one of Nob Hill's most-watched vacancies says more about Albuquerque's shifting restaurant map than about the tequila category itself. Fiesta Azul is a hospitality operator, not a distillery, and nothing in the public record addresses what it pours beyond the volume figure the company advertises itself. We will watch for a lease filing or opening date before treating this as settled.