Mariposa's Screaming Coyote restaurant and bar is closing permanently after about a year and a half in business, with Halloween marked as its final night. The Wilson family, who own the Rio Rancho spot, broke the news in a Nextdoor post Wednesday, telling the community the decision was not made lightly.
According to the Rio Rancho Observer, the Wilson family announced the closure on Nextdoor on October 21. In their post, shared on the restaurant's Nextdoor page, the family wrote, “This was a difficult decision for our family and one we did not make lightly.”
The restaurant, which goes by Screaming Coyote and is Mariposa's only location, will shut its doors for good on Saturday, October 31 — Halloween will be its final day. Before that, the business plans a short temporary closure on October 24, with normal hours resuming the following week, per the Observer's report.
A Halloween Send-Off With a Costume Contest
Rather than quietly fading out, the Wilsons appear to be treating the final stretch as a celebration. The Nextdoor post notes that winners of a costume contest will be picked at 7 p.m., with prizes going to the best outfits — a fitting last hurrah for a restaurant and bar bowing out on the spookiest night of the year.
Diners hoping to grab a favorite dish or drink during the restaurant's remaining days should know supplies may be limited. The Nextdoor post states that some food and drink items may become unavailable as the business works through its remaining inventory.
In the same announcement, the Wilson family said they were proud of building the restaurant from the ground up and grateful to the supporters who became part of their journey. “To everyone who supported us, visited our restaurant, and became part of our journey, thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” the family wrote, according to the post shared on Nextdoor.
Interested Buyers Can Reach Out Directly
Those interested in potentially taking over the restaurant are encouraged to contact [email protected], per the Observer's reporting. As of publication, the restaurant had not responded to a request for further comment, the outlet noted.
The closure lands amid a tough stretch for New Mexico's restaurant industry more broadly. New openings have barely kept pace with closures as operators across the state grapple with rising costs, according to the Albuquerque Business First. That outlet also reported that Blaze Pizza and Rusty Taco locations at Albuquerque's Coronado Center permanently closed in 2025, underscoring how even established chains have struggled to stay afloat in the current climate.
For now, Screaming Coyote's remaining days are set: a brief closure Oct. 24, a return to normal hours the following week, and then one last Halloween night before the lights go out for good.
