Apr. 10—Nathan Farmer never thought he would be spending his time hauling away people's junk and discarded items.
As a child, Farmer said his parents stressed the importance of education saying that it was a gateway to avoid manual jobs, and for much of his life, he heeded that advice.
Until last year.
Farmer said that last year his interest in a new career was piqued after his childhood best friend, Brian Battaglia, casually mentioned how well his weekend gig of hauling away people's old items was going.
The two quickly partnered up and started spending their lunch hours and evenings hauling away old mattresses, piles of concrete and large appliances.
On April 15, the duo are launching their company, A1 Services, as a full-time operation.
The move to becoming full-time junk haulers is a far cry from both Farmer's and Battaglia's former professions.
Farmer works as a full-time professor at Central New Mexico Community College while Battaglia works as a petroleum engineer for New Mexico Gas Co.
Though Farmer and Battaglia are leaving their former professions behind, Farmer said the decision made sense since both he and Battaglia had always prioritized flexibility and the need to not work desk jobs.
"The most important thing for me in my life was always flexibility, never having a desk job ... And that's why I went into teaching because you don't have a desk job," Farmer said.
He also said it allowed both of them to be their own bosses.
The business started on a whim when Battaglia casually posted an advertisement for junk hauling services on Craigslist.
Soon, Battaglia's phone was blowing up with requests from people needing the services, Farmer said.
The volume of business eventually allowed Battaglia and Farmer to purchase a trailer and a box truck.
There are hopes to continue growing.
Farmer said that he and Battaglia would like to continue scaling the business since there is an obvious need for the services.
He said many of their clients include elderly people that are unable to move heavy items on their own, or family members needing to clean out houses after a death.
"I never in my life thought that I would be doing this as my job, and so I think it kind of opened my eyes to like this whole different type of living," he said.
Farmer said he realized that his new career isn't just about removing junk, but about providing a service to those in need.
"We're actually doing a service that helps people," he said. "I didn't realize that's what it would be like."
While Farmer uses the term "junk removal," items that still have use are often donated to thrift stores like Family Thrift Center.
A1 Services currently serves Albuquerque and Rio Rancho, though the company may begin weekly operations in Santa Fe, according to Farmer.
Customers are charged based on the size of the load and how much space it takes up on the trailer and box truck.
For Tami O'Bryan, a chance Valentine's Day order last year turned into her own business this year.
O'Bryan said last year while placing an order of macarons for her daughter, she noticed the company she was ordering from was actually a franchise and decided to reach out for more information.
It wasn't long until O'Bryan, and her daughter, Victoria Ruggles, were signing on to bring a location of the dessert shop, Le Macaron, to Albuquerque.
Le Macaron opened April 3 at 6241 Riverside Plaza NW.
O'Bryan was already familiar with macarons and franchises when she decided to buy her own franchise of the pastry shop — her husband owns a Chick-fil-A franchise on the West Side and she bakes macarons with her daughter in their spare time.
The macarons cost $2.70 a piece, but there is a discount when buying in bulk.
Though macarons are the namesake and centerpiece dessert item, Le Macaron also serves 15 flavors of gelato, European pastries like eclairs and Napoleons, coffee drinks, and mini macaron cakes.
O'Bryan said she hopes Le Macaron will provide a new dessert option for those living on the West Side.
"We're going to be a neat spot with a French atmosphere and just a place for people to come in and enjoy pastries and sit on the patio," she said. "We don't really have anything like that, that I know of, on this side of town."
Le Macaron is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day beginning Saturday. For more information, visit lemacaron-us.com.
NM salsa, green chile to be sold nationwide
A salsa and green chile company will soon be making its way to Walmart shelves nationwide.
505 Southwestern announced March 28 that several of its products including its jarred Flame Roasted Green Chile will soon be sold in all 4,461 Walmart locations over the next few months.
"It has been our long-standing goal to bring the flavor of Hatch Valley, flame roasted green chile to consumers in all corners of the country, and this expansion with Walmart is a critical step in this mission," Rob Holland, Flagship Food Group executive chairman, parent of 505 Southwestern, said in a statement announcing the distribution.
Green chile sauces, salsas and other products by the brand will also be available in Walmart stores.
Holland said the company has invested in its manufacturing capacity and distribution network over the past several years which has helped expansion.
The company is based near Denver, but uses Hatch green chiles in its products and has its manufacturing headquarters located in New Mexico.
Chipotle opens Juan Tabo drive-thru location
Burqueños have another option when looking to grab a burrito bowl for dinner.
Chipotle opened a new Albuquerque location March 31 at 1000 Juan Tabo NE, according to the company.
The new location features a drive-thru lane for customers who placed orders ahead of time. The Chipotle on Montgomery and San Mateo is the only other location to feature a drive-thru lane in Albuquerque.
The restaurant is open from 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.
Pilar Martinez covers retail and commercial real estate for the Journal. She can be reached at pmartinez@abqjournal.com.
