“We used reclaimed timber and made our concrete countertops ourselves.” Other visual delights include an artist’s wall for rotating exhibits. “Everything’s minimalistic and made from raw materials,” says Spitzer. Spitzer and Gienke constructed the handsome booths themselves using poplar wood, one of many interior materials that were chosen with intention. Diners are tucked away beneath large, beguiling photographs of cottonwood trees illuminated in light boxes, faux windows that were created by Santa Fe photographer Janet Russek. A row of booths, each sheltered by three walls, offers a degree of privacy. Open seating arrangements abound, but the design incorporates more secluded areas as well. (As they were in the old space, the plants are for sale, as is pottery by local artists that the restaurant also uses as dishware.) Large overhead doors, skylights, and windows bring in the breeze along with sunlight and mountain views. Cacti, assorted succulents, and tropical plants are everywhere, growing from the walls, lining windows, and encircling the centerpiece of the space-an enchanting koi pond. To that end, Opuntia is bursting with life. “I think this is a movement that we’ll be seeing in the future, with more spaces being kind and not so rigid and sterile.” “It’s important to honor people’s love of nature, so we wanted to make the space as natural as possible, with meandering lines rather than a grid, and being surrounded by plants,” she says. Gienke brought to the project her background in landscape architecture and biophilic design, which is based on bringing our innate connection to nature into the places where we live and work. It should expand your feelings with possibility, rest, or inspiration.”
“It’s not just about what the space looks like, it’s about how you feel. “When people walk into the space, I want them to feel calm and rejuvenated, even though it’s a busy café,” says Spitzer. Every detail of this beautiful botanical realm was created by co-owners Todd Spitzer and Jeanna Gienke. The second-story space has balcony dining and windows offering stupendous views of the Sangre de Cristos on the horizon and the bustling Santa Fe Farmers’ Market below.
But things reached new heights when Opuntia opened in its new location in the fall of 2020. Opuntia quickly amassed a large and loyal following after it opened in 2017 its first plant-scaped teahouse, an airy, light-filled space located in the Baca District of the Santa Fe Railyard. If you’ve already visited this visionary space, then you’ll know that we’re talking about Opuntia Cafe, located in the heart of the Santa Fe Railyard.
There’s nourishing, seasonally inspired food, too, along with a menu of tantalizing teas from around the world. High above the earth, a garden oasis awaits-a paradise of plants, water, sunlight, and calm-a retreat from an overwrought world.
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