I’ve always loved cooking. When I was younger, I looked at people who owned restaurants like they were some kind of superhuman, and from my first job in hospitality I wanted to have a go myself.
Around 2015, I got the chance. I wanted to do Mexican a little differently: relaxed, great food, a proper bar and the kind of place that makes you stay for another drink.
Freshwater was supposed to be first. After six months of negotiating, just as we were about to pay the deposit, the landlord told us, “Freshwater doesn’t want a Mexican restaurant,” and tore up the lease.
That was that.
With our tails between our legs, we went back to looking and found a little corner in Avalon. Before opening, we travelled through Oaxaca, Mexico City and Tulum, ate our way around and drank plenty of mezcal.
In 2017, we opened Alma Avalon. There have been plenty of long nights and lessons since, but I’ve watched first dates turn into regular Friday nights, and plenty of people who came in for one drink stay for dinner.
That’s probably the part I enjoy most.
In 2022, we opened St Alma in Freshwater. Different space, same suburb we’d originally set our hearts on.
I still get a bit of a laugh out of that.
These days, Alma is two restaurants, and I wouldn’t want them to be identical. I still get a buzz walking into a busy one. I just want us to make food we’re proud of, pour a good drink and give people somewhere they enjoy coming back to.
That’s always been the point.
Tim Christensen
Founder, Alma Group
