A Rise + Roast Donuts + Coffee shop is set to open on Unser Boulevard, between Taco Cabana and Nusenda Credit Union. Courtesy rendering.

Add coffee plus donuts plus local New Mexico flare, and it equals Rise + Roast Donuts + Coffee.
A New Mexico original coffee shop is opening its second location in the Unser Gateway area.
“To be honest, we are really excited! Rio Rancho is such a vibrant community, and we can’t wait to offer a local coffee/donut option in that area specifically. Maybe even give Dutch Bros a run for their money,” said Ian Lowe, a manager at Rise + Roast.
Rise + Roast is the vision of owners Doug and Gayle Adams, he said. The first location opened near Kirtland Air Force Base in April 2019.
“They brought together a team of donut and coffee professionals to bring their idea to life — literally from the ground up,” Lowe said.
He has been in the coffee and pastry industry since 2002. He said Rise + Roast focuses on the coffee as much as pastries.
“Specialty donuts and coffee can be very expensive, and rightfully so. There is a great deal of effort and passion that pour into every bit of the specialty niche of this industry,” Lowe said. “We set out to honor our customers with a product that always looks and tastes like it should cost more. An affordable luxury: Inexpensive, but never cheap.”
Rio Rancho is under-served in regard to local coffee and donuts, he said. Rise + Roast was happy to answer the call, Lowe said.
“Our local business community is one-of-a-kind on the national stage, and I am beyond blessed to be part of it,” he said. “We love our local businesses in New Mexico. We shop local as a business anytime we can, and we believe our local customer family will feel the same.”
The shop on Unser Boulevard will open in the spring or summer, Lowe said.
“With the current pandemic and economic climate, we are just grateful to be open,” he said.
For the grand opening, Lowe and the Adams would like to have a fun, family-oriented event, but it is too soon to call, given the pandemic. The process of opening another shop had been difficult because of COVID-19, Lowe said.
“The city of Rio Rancho has been amazing and the mayor incredible; but everything else has been hard. It has been a hard commitment to put ourselves out there to start something new when things are changing all the time,” he said. “We have been so blessed to be able to maintain our full staff through this thing and absorb the rising costs that are hitting all small businesses right now. We believe it is worth the fight!”
The 1,300-square-foot shop will have a drive-thru, curbside pick-up, mobile ordering, delivery and a lobby and covered outdoor seating, he said.
“We are bakers and baristas proud of our menu and our brand,” Lowe said. “We are working overtime to build a destination to suit the specific needs of families and business professionals in Rio Rancho.”