Chef to the stars settles into Las Vegas community

What inspired you to open Other Mama?

I wanted to have a place where I could have the freedom to express myself, work with like-minded people, and get to know the people in the Vegas community.

What’s the significance of the name?

My great grandmother helped raise my father, so she was known as “other mama.” I wanted to have something that was personal and also culturally neutral. I also take a lot of pride in people coming here to eat, and I think of it as people coming into our home. Maternal care doesn’t always come from the one who gave birth to you, but the one who looks after you and cares for your well-being.

Your business opened nearly two years ago. How are Las Vegans reacting to the restaurant?

The Las Vegas community has been extremely supportive. I have only been in Vegas for three years, and I didn’t realize the need for “neighborhood” restaurants was so great. People come up to me all the time and say, “Thank you so much for opening up close to my house.”

Prior to Other Mama, you worked with a catering company to serve musicians, such as Jay Z, Taylor Swift and Metallica. How was this experience, and what’s it like traveling as a chef?

It was a great experience. I was burned out with the daily grind of being in a restaurant, and I needed to stay in the culinary field but see it from a different angle. It was a tough job. We started at 5 a.m. and didn’t usually finish until 11 p.m. It was a lot of manual labor; I was the plumber, electrician, maintenance guy and chef all at once. It was amazing to experience almost every city in the U.S. and Canada. After a while, though, you miss being in one place and being part of a community. I found myself out in space, and I knew I wanted to re-establish myself with a strong chef community.

After being involved in the food industry for several years, why did you think it was the right time to open a restaurant? Was it always a goal of yours?

The ownership is not what led me to opening a restaurant; it was the fact that I got to a place where I couldn’t handle making other people’s food and breaking my back for other people’s goals. I’m honored that I can provide jobs for passionate people and sacrifice myself for goals that I believe in. I knew I had to pull the trigger on this or it was time to find a new profession.

With so many restaurants in Las Vegas, what makes Other Mama unique?

We are able to communicate with our customers directly and adapt to their needs. So many restaurants here are second locations of popular places in other cities. We are truly part of this community.

Do you plan on expanding Other Mama in Las Vegas or other cities?

I want to expand my reach in the city. I don’t plan on opening another Other Mama, but we do have a lot of ideas in the works. I never want to expand more than we can keep our level of quality.