Big Mama's Kitchen & Catering expands catering services, provides take-and-bake meals during pandemic

Juli Oberlander • September 27, 2021

Big Mama's Kitchen & Catering expands catering services, provides take-and-bake meals during pandemic

Photos courtesy of Gladys Harrison

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Big Mama's Kitchen and Catering was among many Omaha restaurants forced to close its doors.

Faced with a difficult situation, Big Mama's owner Gladys Harrison says she was blessed to receive a Paycheck Protection Program loan backed by the U.S. Small Business Association.

She says the loan allowed her to reopen Big Mama's and keep her workers employed during COVID-19.

"In April of 2020, we closed for a month like most other restaurants," Harrison says. "By the grace of God, we received the PPP disaster loan and that's how we eventually reopened."

After reopening in May 2020, Harrison says Big Mama's adjusted to the difficult circumstances by switching to take-out options and providing a safe environment that allowed customers to social distance.

"It was challenging as we had to pivot from casual dining to carry-out," she says. "We had to scramble and get online ordering set up. We had to cut our menu, change packaging, purchase PPE equipment—all these things to keep everybody safe."

Harrison says keeping up with cleaning resulted in extra expenses, but it was necessary to ensure the health and safety of the community. Despite the higher costs, the heightened safety measures allowed Harrison to bring back the same number of positions that the staff held before COVID-19. She also hired additional workers to help with cleaning.

As COVID-19 continued to affect the community, Harrison says she and her staff sought to help many who were going through hard times or facing food insecurity due to the pandemic.

She says the Big Mama's team worked out a way to provide take-and-bake meals to Omahans most in need.

"In the beginning of the pandemic, we wanted to figure out what we could do to help the people who live around us," Harrison says. "So we started doing take-and-bake meals at affordable prices where we prepare an entrée, a side dish, and include a bag of our cornbread mix for customers to bake at home."

During the height of COVID-19 last year, Harrison says Big Mama's also sold ingredients such as flour, eggs and milk in small quantities to customers, as the Highlander neighborhood where the restaurant is located does not have many grocery stores.

By expanding Big Mama's catering services, Harrison says she and her staff have been able to give back during the pandemic and provide hope to the community.

"We partner with various organizations in the community to help feed families, since so many people are out of work and need nutritious meals," Harrison says. "We offer what we call Covid-friendly business boxed meals with everything inside—food, utensils, condiments—for delivery or pickup. Since March of 2020, all we have been doing is pivoting and pivoting and we pivot some more."

About Big Mama's:

Founded by Patricia "Big Mama" Barron, Big Mama’s is a family-owned and operated restaurant specializing in soul food and traditional American cuisine. Big Mama's is co-located with Best Burger and Dena's Place Cocktail Lounge in the Highlander Accelerator Dining Room, North Omaha’s first and only food and drink hub. Continuing a rich tradition of family-owned businesses, Dena's Place is owned by members of Big Mama's family, offering diverse and deliciously curated food, drinks and entertainment for everyone. To learn more, visit the Big Mama's and Dena's Place websites.

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