Feb. 9—It's been about a dozen years since Albuquerque resident John Flores has cooked professionally. After graduating from culinary school and cutting his teeth at Albuquerque establishments like the Artichoke Cafe and since-closed Graze, he took a break from cooking, working instead in hotels and home health administration.

But Flores never lost his passion for food. On Monday, Flores opened New Mexico's first location of charcuterie chain Graze Craze at 4770 Montgomery NE, tucked behind a soon-to-open Raising Cane's.

"Honestly, it's a little surreal," Flores said. "I feel like I need to pinch myself."

The Albuquerque Graze Craze location is one of 34 — a number that will soon jump to 60 as the franchise opened 26 new locations. The company was founded by Kerry Sylvester in 2018 in Oklahoma, and now has locations in 17 states.

Flores didn't always think he'd work in the food industry. Originally, he wanted to be a doctor and pursued medicine for one semester at the University of New Mexico. Combining his love for food with an entrepreneurial zest, he followed his culinary education with a business degree from Central New Mexico Community College.

"I learned very quickly in my first semester at UNM that (medicine) was not going to be my career," Flores said. "... My second passion behind medicine was cooking, so I decided I wanted to be a chef and own my own restaurant."

A first-time business owner, Flores wanted to start with a franchise. And charcuterie was already in his wheelhouse, considering he made meat and cheese boards for family even before the charcuterie "craze."

The menu includes five different sized boards and boxes — ranging from the "Lone Grazer" for the solitary snacker and the "Picnic Box" which serves 2-4 people, to the large board, which serves 8-10. Customers can also choose from four different styles, including keto and vegetarian options.

"When I made charcuterie boards before this, I'd have to go to several different stores just to find the specific meats and cheeses that I wanted," Flores said. "It costs a lot of money, especially now with inflation, to source those ingredients. We're able to buy them at a wholesale cost, prepare them for you, and make a board for you that is stress free."

Flores is planning to add charcuterie-building classes in the coming months and is working with the franchise to develop a "local board" which will include the flavors of New Mexico. Although, customers can already upgrade their boards to include Hatch green chile cheese at any Graze Craze location.

Additionally, Graze Craze offers seasonal boards, like the "Indulgence Board" for Valentine's Day and the "Game Day" board for Super Bowl Sunday. The restaurant offers free delivery to Northeast Albuquerque for orders over $50.

A grand opening is planned for March. Flores said he might consider opening a Graze Craze Westside or Santa Fe location in the future, but right now has no definite plans to expand.