Restaurant makes adjustments to stay competitive, sustainable

23ABC'S Tori Cooper spoke to the owner and staff at the Mama Mia restaurant in Downtown Bakersfield about some of the changes they have had to make in order to stay financially efficient.

NEWS THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO DOEVERYTHING TO STAY COSTEFFECTIVE ANDTHAT INCLUDES MANY NEW CHANGES.23ABC'S TORI COOPER IS JOININGUS LIVE FROM MAMA MIASRESTAURANT WHERE SHE SPOKE TOTHE OWNER AND STAFFABOUT THE CHANGES THEY HAVE HADTO MAKE IN ORDERTO STAY FINANCIALLY EFFICIENTTORI.YEA JESSICA, SOME RESTAURANTOWNERS HAVECLOSED DOWN ALL TOGETHER BECAUSETHEY ARE FINDING THATIT'S COSTING THEM WAY TOO MUCHIN OPERATING COSTAND THEY ARE NO LONGER MAKINGTHE SAME RETURN.OTHER RESTAURANTS ALSO TELLINGUS THEY ARE SIMPLYNOT DESIGNED TO OPERATEPRIMARILY ON TO-GO'S.

BUTSOME GOOD NEWS TONIGHT IS THATIF YOU ARE STILL LOOKINGFOR AN OUTDOOR DINING EXPEREINCEMAMA MIAS HEREIN DOWNTOWN BAKERSFIELD IS OPENBUT THEY DID SAY THAT IN ORDERTO STAY COST EFFECTIVE THEYHAD TO MAKE SOME DRASTIC CHANGESINCLUDING TOTHEIR HOURS, AND DAYS OFOPERATION."JUST MAJOR ADJUSTMENTS WE WENTFROM HAVING A FULL VENUE TO NEWHAVING FIVE TABLES TO SEE IF WECOULD ACCOMMODATE AS MANY ASPOSSIBLEGUEST AS WE COULD,"MARIO ZEPEDA IS THE MANAGER ANDHEAD BARTENDER ATMAMA MIA ITALIAN RESTAURANT INDOWNTOWN BAKERSFIELD-AND HE SAYSDUE TO THE STATE'S RECENTSUSPENSION OFINDOOR SEATING-THEY'VE HAD TOCUT BACK IN OTHER AREAS TOMAINTAIN COST EFFECTIVENESS..INCLUDING CLOSING ONMONDAYS.."BUT DUE TO THE WHOLE COVID ANDEVERYTHING IT DID EFFECT USTREMENDOUSLY SO NOW IN ORDER TOMAKE IT MORE COST EFFICIENCY WEAREOPEN TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY,"THE HEAD CHEF HAS ALSO SPACEDOUT THE SHIFTS BETWEENSERVERS TO HELP KEEP HISORIGINAL STAFF BUT THEY ARECLOSING AN HOUR EARLIER NOW"FOR LUNCH WE STILL HAVE THE SAMEHOURS AS FROM 11 TO 2 AND WECLOSE ALLTHE WAY TO 5 AGAIN AND THEN WEREOPEN FROM 5 TO 8,"UNLIKE RESTAURANTS LIKE SONDERTHAT HAVE CLOSED ALLTOGETHER OR THE PADRE WHO AREONLY SERVING TO GOORDERS-ZEPEDA SAYS THEY ARE MAKING DUETO MEET THE ECONOMICCHALLENGES, INCLUDING GETTING ANEVENT ANDLIQUOR LICENSE PERMIT TO SERVEOUTSIDE.REMINDING EVERYONE THAT MAMAMIA'S IS STILL A SAFE ANDCOMFORTABLE PLACE TO DINE OUT.."WE STILL TRY TO MAKE IT AS HOMEYAS POSSIBLE AND WE ALL WEARPROTECTIVEGEAR GLOVES MASKS SO YOU DON'THAVE TO BE AFRAID OF ACTUALLYCOMING,"MAMA MIA'S OUTDOOR SEATING ALSOMEETS PUBLICHEALTH'S FRESH AIR CIRCULATIONREQUIREMENT FOR OUTDOORSEATINGTHOUGH FOR SOME CUSTOMERS THEYFEEL THE BAKERSFIELDHEAT IS THE MAIN FACTORIMPACTING THE TRADITIONALDINING EXPERIENCE."WITH THE SUMMER TEMPERATURES ISNOT AS PRACTICAL SO IT'SUNCOMFORTABLE,"BUT DUNN SAYS SHE WON'T LETTEMPERATURES STOP HER FROMHAVING A FUN OUTDOOR DININGEXPERIENCE WITH FRIENDS ANDFAMILY..BUT WERE GETTING OUT SO THAT WECANSOCIALIZE AND GET OUT OF THEHOUSE AND ENJOY SOME TYPE OFNORMALCY."NOW ZEPEDA SAYS THAT AS OF NOWMAMA MIAS NO LONGER TAKINGRESERVATIONS AND THEY ARESERVING CUSTOMERS ON AFIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS.HOWEVER, THEY SAID IF THECOMMUNITY FOOT TRAFFIC STARTS TOINCREASE SOON THEY WILLMAKE ADJUSTMENT AND LIKELY STARTTAKINGRESERVATIONS AGAIN.BUT FOR NOW LIVE.AND THE CITY OF BAKERSFIELD ISREMINDING BUSINESSES