Los Lunas

Pizza, salads and sub sandwiches — residents of Valencia County are craving all three. Their tastebuds will soon be satisfied when Dion’s opens its doors in Los Lunas this October.

Christie Martinez, marketing director of Dion’s corporation, says she is excited to see the business expand from its home headquarters in Albuquerque to include a restaurant in Los Lunas.

“We’re in Los Lunas by popular demand. A lot of our customers have been requesting a location there. They’ve wanted us,” she said.

The Los Lunas Dion’s, located north of the entrance to Smith’s, will join nine operating restaurants in the Duke City. The store is approximately 5,000-square-feet and will seat 160 customers, Martinez said. Dion’s will employ 50 to 60 people, including a general manager and three managers.

Diane Huckabee, director of the Los Lunas-Bosque Farms Chamber of Commerce, is anxious to see Dion’s come to Los Lunas.

“It will certainly help boost our gross receipts. The important issue is the fact we’re going to have more jobs available locally.”

Pizzas come in 8-, 12-, 14- and 16-inch sizes. Specialty pizzas, such as the Kansas City and Tuscany, mix toppings such as provolone, garlic, chicken and barbecue sauce or spinach, fresh basil and feta cheese. The Duke City pizza carries turkey, cheddar and green chile.

“The quality in our food is what sets us apart,” Martinez said. “We don’t put anything out or sell it unless it’s the best.”

Salad selections range from chicken Caesar to Greek, ranch, turkey and chef. Customers can purchase half, full or family-size salads.

Dion’s sells subs, at six or 10 inches, with turkey and Swiss, roast beef and provolone, green chile and cheddar, pastrami and provalone, or tuna and cheddar.

“All of our subs come with chips, or you can substitute fruit. And we sell our dressings by the bottle,” she said.

Pizza, sub and salad lovers can place their orders by telephone before picking them up or going to the drive-up window.

“Dion’s is a family-oriented restaurant. There is no alcohol served,” Martinez said. “In Albuquerque, it’s become a hang-out for junior high, high school and college students. We hire a lot of those age-group students. It’s a fun environment to work in, and there’s room for advancement. We love to invest in young people and see a return in the future.”

Dion’s is slated to open in early October with hours 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and Friday and Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

It will begin conducting interviews on Thursdays and Fridays, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. from August 21 to 30 at the Los Lunas Visitors Center. To contact the chamber, call 865-1581.

All interested candidates may pick up an application at any Dion’s restaurant or stop by the corporate office in Albuquerque, located at 8525 Jefferson NE, between Paseo del Norte and Alameda. Call Melody Mar-tinez at 858-1010 for more information.

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Jennifer Harmon