SALA Los Alamos celebrates chamber award, staffer and new drink service

Owner Allan Saenz used a community presentation on Wednesday evening, May 6, to say SALA had been named the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Small Service Business of the Year and was also nominated for Family-Friendly Business of the Year. The chamber’s 2026 voting process had included SALA in both categories, alongside other local businesses, and the chamber said organizations could win in only one category each year. That recognition matters in a town where a small number of venues compete for residents’ limited nights out, and where every extra reason to stay in Los Alamos rather than drive elsewhere can translate into more foot traffic for neighboring businesses.

Saenz also publicly recognized Magaly Veleta, saying she had been part of SALA since the early stages of the project and had played a behind-the-scenes role in organizing events, managing information and keeping programs moving. The acknowledgment came as Veleta prepares to leave New Mexico, though she will continue working remotely. SALA has previously been described as a renovated theater that functions as a flexible space for community and business presentations, birthday parties, movie nights and other events, and Veleta’s role has helped hold together that broader schedule.

The third announcement was the start of beer and wine service, an addition that gives SALA another way to compete in a market where arts venues often depend on mixed-use programming to stay financially steady. New Mexico’s Senate Bill 159, titled Independent Theater Beer & Wine Licenses, was signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on April 8, 2025, became Chapter 119 and took effect July 1, 2025. The law created a Special Independent Theater Dispensing License that allows beer or wine service at screenings or other events, with a yearly fee of $100, renewable for $100, and a limit of two 12-ounce beers or two 6-ounce wines per customer per event.