Jessica and Seth Beecher’s hip and buzzy 2022 freshman effort in Nob Hill is being followed by an equally hip and buzzy sophomore one in 2024.
After the launch of the Central Bodega restaurant with two partners, the couple has embarked on an even bigger project just across the street. That means the busy Nob Hill intersection at Central Avenue and Amherst Drive is increasingly that of the Beechers.
Mission Winery – part restaurant, part tasting room – is set to open in the former Zacatecas Tacos restaurant space at 3423 Central Ave. NE on May 1. It’s located next to the Mission Winery Bottle Shop & Tasting Room which they opened late last year.
“We got the Zacatecas building because we could see the potential,” Jessica Beecher said.
The main level is about 2,800 square feet and includes a lower floor of about the same size – an area that was rarely, if ever, seen by patrons of Zacatecas which closed in 2019. Beecher said a big appeal of the lower level is an option to construct a patio off the back of it. She said fans of Central Bodega – located in a much smaller former Hey Jhonny space which closed in 2017 – often ask for patio seating but there’s no room for it.
Beecher said an interior facelift of Mission Winery is in progress and the lower level will likely include baking ovens and a separate bar area. Seth Beecher, who started cooking when he was 13 and opened Old Town’s former Ambrosia Cafe & Wine Bar in 2000, developed the menu at Central Bodega and will do the same for Mission Winery. The Albuquerque natives are on the hunt for a general manager and expect to hire for other positions soon.
Winemaking prowess
The Beechers jumped into the winemaking business about four years ago and now produce Mission Winery rosés, whites and reds. They own five vineyards in the Albuquerque area – three in the North Valley and two in Corrales – and four in California. Their latest local vineyard was acquired just last week on Jan. 17. Jessica Beecher graduated from the University of California, Davis’s winemaking program, which she began at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.
“We’re in control [of our grapes] – how they’re growing and everything from pest control to herbicides to watering,” Beecher said. “It was important to us because we’re sustainable – we use all sustainable farming techniques. It’s a really big deal not just for the fruit, but also it’s important that we have the least amount of impact.”
Late last year the couple opened the bottle shop and tasting room knowing they’d want to expand, which the acquisition of the Zacatecas space will allow. They want to convert the cozy space (formerly Scot’s Dog Grooming) into a raw oyster bar – likely to be the only one in Albuquerque.
“We’ve wanted that for a really long time and we were trying to figure out how best to incorporate it,” Beecher said. “The spot is kind of ideal because we’ll only be able to have six or seven people in there at a time and we want it to be small and kind of exclusive.”
The couple says the investments, space shuffling and interior remodels aren’t daunting since they ventured into real estate in 2005 and are the founders and owners of RE/MAX Select Real Estate Group’s three offices, including one in Nob Hill. Decades in real estate has come in handy, mostly tuned toward the commercial market for the last eight years. The Beechers also do their own updates through their Sage Design Build business – about 30 remodeling projects so far.
Bullish on Nob Hill
The Beechers, who have two children, are quick to praise the Nob Hill corridor and are excited to be part of its diverse restaurant and bar scene.
“There’s always been so much passion and love for Nob Hill,” Jessica Beecher said. “We’re strongly invested in this area and 100% believe in it.”
When the pandemic took hold and closures started to happen, Beecher said she doubled down”because I knew it would rebound and we wanted to be a part of that when it happened.”
“I think Nob Hill is a wonderful place where people can come and just know that they can have a great night out,” she said. “You can kind of just hop around and go to these different places and experience different things and there’s nowhere else you can do that in town. I think that’s pretty special.”
Mission’s wines are on the menu at Central Bodega and are available at the bottle shop and in two Kelly Liquors locations and Stone Face Package Liquor.
More information about Mission Winery can be found here and about Central Bodega can be found here. is at and centralbodeganm.com.