ABOUT THE CHEF
Compliments of the
"Dallas Voyage Interview February 2021"
Today we’d like to introduce you to Lovilla Bables.
Hi Lovilla, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was currently working with my spouse assisting him with his first restaurant, formerly “Yo Mommas Kitchen,” located off Corinth Street, South of Dallas. My husband and previous owner/partner decided to close the kitchen. Due to uncontrollable circumstances. After about two months of the restaurant being closed, I truly missed the customers/community and of course, cooking & serving.
My husband knew I have always had a passion for cooking and feeding people, so he encouraged me to find another location. After months of searching, one of my relatives, Ray Day, found a great location off 67/Kiest Blvd. (Dallas, Texas) located inside a Shells gas station, so I attempted several times to contact the owner for information regarding the kitchen space. After about two long weeks, he finally calls me back and we meet briefly and he approved me to move into the restaurant on Jan 1, 2020. I have no regrets, it was slow in the beginning but I celebrated my 1st year anniversary on Jan 1, 2021.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road because this was a new location for me, and most of my customers were used to the old building location, which had now been closed for over 2/3 months. I had to actually build and gain new customers in the location of a kitchen that had been closed for over six months. Not long after I begin to see business increase, we were closed on March 18, due to the Pandemic, I stayed closed for about a month and returned to rebuild again!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Ya Mommas Kitchen?
I am a small kitchen setup located inside a busy gas station. I am the Owner and Cook. I specialize in Fast Food with a hint of Soul Foods sold daily. My kitchen offers a variety of meal ranging from $2.50-$20.00. I offer daily grilled items, along with Southern Foods, which in the small community is not offered much within the location. My most sold items and what I have set a milestone for in the area is the “Smothered Chicken or Pork Chop Plates/Cabbage/Chitterlings/” and not to mention the Peach Cobbler my aunt makes and often gets sold out within two days. My small kitchen only consists of my aunt Bessie Offord (family-owned/operated) and me. We offer exceptional customer service and are dedicated to keeping a smile on our customers faces on a daily. We offer great southern food on an average weekday.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Good Luck has been great for the year 2020! But actually, I call it a Blessing because thru Covid 19 and all my kitchen has survived and continues to grow within the community.