Morning Glory Baking Company owners Melinda and Kevin Albright pose by a wall hanging in their restaurant Friday morning on Diamond Drive. Saturday was the final day of business for Morning Glory, which had operated in Los Alamos a little over 22 years. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailyposttest.ortizaudio.net
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailyposttest.ortizaudio.net
For the final time Saturday, Kevin and Melinda Albright flipped the sign on the door to Morning Glory Baking Company to read: Open. After a little more than 22 years in business, the Albrights have closed their restaurant at 1377 Diamond Dr.
Kevin explained they decided to shutter the business after the owners, Mark and Chris Anderson, sold the property to Russell Ross in October. Ross also purchased the former Metzger’s gas station and auto shop next door as well as the building at 1183, which houses the Los Alamos County Social Services Division, Gracie Barra Los Alamos Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and the Los Alamos Public Health Office.
Kevin said they looked for another place to rent but didn’t find anything that really fit their needs. Plus, Kevin said they are ready to retire and begin a new chapter.
“We tried really hard to make this work,” he said. “But at this point we are ready for retirement.”
Right now, Kevin said they are not sure what their retirement plans are.
“We’re just trying to make this transition as complete and professional as possible,” he said. “We’re ready to start this new chapter but we haven’t a clue what is in store.”
As far as the future for the building that Morning Glory was located in, the former Metzger’s building and the property at 1183, Ross shared what is in store.
“We are currently putting a new stucco finish on 1183 along with new trim paint and rain gutters,” Ross said. “After that is complete, we will make improvements to that parking lot in addition to replacing some of the sidewalk and curb/gutter.”
“1377 needed significant investment for Morning Glory to continue to operate in that space,” he added. “Given the site will be redeveloped in the future, it did not make sense to make improvements to that building so the tenancy with Morning Glory was ended. Due to the liabilities around owning vacant real estate, both buildings will be taken down later this year. A variety of options are being considered for redevelopment of the site, but no firm plans exist at this point, which can be shared.”
The chapter on Morning Glory may have closed but Kevin said there were a lot of highlights in running the business.
The biggest one, he said, was the customers.
“Without a doubt it’s the wonderful customers in Los Alamos,” Kevin said. “We wouldn’t have been able to continue if it weren’t for the people showing up.”
People’s support for the business was especially heart-warming during the height of COVID, he said.
“We really appreciated it,” Kevin said.
Melinda agreed.
“It’s been a privilege,” she said. “We have been blessed with wonderful clientele. I can’t say enough about them. They have been very sweet and very supportive all these years.”
Morning Glory’s genesis occurred in 2001 through a family friend, she said.
Their son, Ian, worked at his best friend’s parents’ restaurant, Daylight Donut/LA Subs. The restaurant was owned by Larry and Veta Floyd.
Melinda said she, too, started working at the restaurant to raise money for college for their daughter, Darci, and to help Ian with his expenses. The joke was, she said, that everyone and their mother worked at Daylight Donut/LA Subs.
At the time Kevin was working at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He worked at several divisions at the laboratory including the National Laboratory Gene Library Project. In total, Kevin worked for the laboratory for 20 years.
In 2001, Kevin decided to make a career change and the Albrights purchased Daylight Donut/LA Subs. The name changed to Daylight Delights.
Kevin said he decided to step away from the laboratory and into the restaurant business because he liked the idea of running a family business and working with his wife.
“It was a pretty exciting time,” he said. “We had a lot of learning experiences from running two businesses at the same time.”
In 2006, the Albrights’ businesses expanded from Daylight Delights in Central Park Square to include Morning Glory. After Christmas 2010, Daylight Delights was closed.
Kevin explained they were inspired by Michael’s Kitchen in Taos, which is a breakfast and bakery. He added he and his wife wanted to offer New Mexican food along with American food.
Running a business is something he encourages others to do.
“I recommend anyone who has the ambition to get into a business to do it,” he said.
It is bittersweet to close their own chapter on entrepreneurship, Melinda said, but they look forward to what the new chapter has for them.
“We’re sad to be leaving but I think we are ready for the next adventure,” she said.