Inside Sawmill Market: The Old Paxton Lumber Building That Became Albuquerque's Food Hall
You will find New Mexico's first food hall in the 1958 Paxton Lumber showroom on Bellamah Avenue NW, with Little Bear Coffee, Patty Man and The Yard.
You find Sawmill Market at 1909 Bellamah Avenue NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104. This is a food hall billed as New Mexico's first food hall, with more than two dozen merchants.
The lumber years
In 1903 the American Lumber Company established operations in Albuquerque. It built a 110-acre complex in the Sawmill District to produce milled lumber, doors and shingles. By 1908 it was the largest manufacturing company in the Southwest and employed over 1,000 men. The complex had its own fire department and medical staff and a dedicated rail spur.
The Frank Paxton Lumber Company opened its new showroom and warehouse on Bellamah Avenue on October 13, 1958. The family-owned business was the "Home of Beautiful Woods" and produced wood paneling and other hardwood products.
How the building became a market
Developer Jim Long, CEO of Heritage Hotels & Resorts, is an architect and a 12th-generation New Mexican. He created the market in the original Paxton Lumber building. Lauren and Jason Greene of the Grove Cafe & Market were the concept developers. They spent three months visiting food halls in San Francisco, Atlanta, New York, San Diego and Chicago.
The market opened to the public on March 10, 2020 and is billed as New Mexico's first food hall. Eric Haskins of api(+) is the architect, Islyn Studio is the interior designer, and Dekker Perich Sabatini is the landscape architect. Islyn Studio said, "Most materials were sourced within a 10-mile radius," with adaptive reuse and creative salvage. One bar area has wood pegboards and stacked lumber representing the building's past.
Light, wood and New Mexico
Floor-to-ceiling steel frame windows bring in daylight, and garage doors open to the patio. Piñon wood-burning fireplaces and fire pits keep the cooler months warm. Islyn Studio drew cues from Navajo craft, adobe architecture, trading posts and Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings.
Native plants of New Mexico are showcased across the site, and salvage materials celebrate the building's history. Long linear steel planters line the entrance. Water harvesting is built into the parking lot islands, stalls and front entrance gardens.
The Yard
Dekker Perich Sabatini says the Yard was inspired by beer gardens, with seating, outdoor dining spaces, games courts, a mobile bar and a lawn with a stage for events. The market calls it a dine and play space.
A walk past the counters
The merchants page lists La Vida Conchas, Flora Restaurant, Lemon & Brine, The Paleta Bar, Sweets Soda Fountain, Crème de la Crème, Xo Waffle, Meso Grill, Outlaw Chicken and Tulipani Pasta. Patty Man and Little Bear Coffee are on that page too. Paxton's Taproom is the community gathering hub at Sawmill Market, and the space evokes a sense of retro nostalgia.
Patty Man
Chef Sean Sinclair, known for Hook It Up Fish and Chips, owns Patty Man. His signature is a green chile smashburger. The market page lists fresh burgers, fries and shakes, and the counter is open daily from 11am to 9pm. Sinclair grew up in the East Mountains and was born and raised in Albuquerque. Sinclair said, "The big mission, the noble mission, is to preserve and enhance New Mexico's culture, and to be a part of that in a small way is such a point of pride for me as a generational New Mexican."
Little Bear Coffee
The market page calls Little Bear a locally owned specialty coffee shop and roastery, open daily from 8am to 6pm. Little Bear says its Sawmill Market cafe has been open since mid-2024. The company has served coffee in Albuquerque since 2018. Its About page calls the Sawmill cafe walnut paneled. Brothers Jacob and Isaac Fox own Little Bear with Tim Fox and Tyler Gerard, and the brothers grew up in the East Mountains. The name came from thrifted nature books, hiking guides and Smokey the Bear.
Where it sits
Sawmill Market sits across Bellamah Avenue from Hotel Chaco, just north of Old Town. Hotel Chaco's page describes the Sawmill District as being reimagined into loft-style housing, artist studios and retail space. The About page calls the market the cornerstone of the Sawmill District Development project. Steve Carlin, who worked on the Ferry Building Marketplace in San Francisco and the Oxbow Public Market in Napa Valley, consulted the food hall.
The general manager
Joey Padilla, an Albuquerque native with over 25 years in the hospitality industry, is the general manager. She leads all aspects of the market's daily operations. You can find her on the About page.
A few quick answers
Where is Sawmill Market? It is at 1909 Bellamah Avenue NW in Albuquerque. It sits across the street from Hotel Chaco and north of Old Town. The market pages also give New Mexico 87104.
What are the hall's hours? Sunday to Thursday the hours are 8am to 9pm, and Friday and Saturday they are 8am to 10pm. Patty Man is open daily 11am to 9pm, and Little Bear is open daily 8am to 6pm.
What was the building before? It was the Frank Paxton Lumber Company showroom and warehouse, opened October 13, 1958. Lawrence Garcia designed the 1958 building. If you want a first look, start with a wander through the hall.
