Foodies looking for their Sunday brunch fix of rainbow lattes and puff pastry waffles topped with deep-fried bananas enjoyed under shaded picnic tables are in mourning this week. Nob Hill’s decade-old Waffletopia, formerly known as La Waffleria, announced Sunday that a short-term closure over the weekend would be permanent.
Just a few days after posting on social media that the business would be closed for the week because of the chef’s health problems, owner Daniel Boardman returned to Facebook Sunday to say that the iconic breakfast spot built into a former residential home on Campus Blvd. near Carlisle Blvd. in Nob Hill would not reopen.
“It is with great sadness that, after more than a decade of operation, I must announce the permanent closure of Waffletopia (FKA La Waffleria). The timing of my decision was precipitated by the sudden health issues our chef/manager, who is the core of our team, has been struggling with, and which caused us to be closed all last week. But also, economic realities, the ever-increasing operating costs combined with an economy that makes discretionary spending increasingly more difficult, have made it challenging for restaurants such as Waffletopia, which are very labor intensive and use premium ingredients, to be profitable.”
Waffletopia’s model was centered around a menu of handmade on-demand waffles pilled high with premium ingredients. That model, Boardman said, had become unprofitable in an economy where customers have less discretionary spending. The restaurant is seeking a new tenant.
Albuquerque Business First (paywall) reported in January 2026 that many local restaurants were struggling with rising labor costs and monthly increases in food costs, sometimes as much as 4% per month in 2025. As reported in New Mexico Political Report, the Joint Economic Committee in Congress found that New Mexico families paid $1,355 more for basic services in 2025 due to federal policy changes, including tariffs and energy policies.