Mama G's owner draws on past to help business during pandemic

Mama G’s bar owner Keith Leonard has drawn to his past to help in the present and propel his bar into the future.
Leonard, whose Morgan City bar will celebrate 20 years in business in December, has been shut down after it could not operate under Gov. John Bel Edwards’ mandate issued in July limiting bars to curbside or delivery service.
It was another blow in an already tough time as earlier this year in March, bars had been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before being allowed to reopen under limited capacity.
During that first closure however, Leonard elected to install a full-service kitchen.
While he isn’t open for good, Leonard — a former caterer — started serving to-go meals one night per week, twice a month, and soon will be expanding it further. The move to sell to-go meals was to help alleviate fixed costs the business still incurs while being closed and to help his workers.
“The cost to stay closed is $4,000 a month out of my pocket, regardless if I do any sales or not, and that is encompassing rent, utilities, garbage,” Leonard said Friday. “Those kinds of things you can’t just stop.”
Beginning this week, Leonard will be serving a to-go meal weekly on one night per week, typically on Thursdays.
“Depending on the demand of what we see from the people, those things could only in-crease,” he said.
So far, things have been successful as more than 110 dinners have been sold at the last two nights curbside service was held.
“This was our fourth week of doing it, and the support has been overwhelming, by the way. It’s apparent people don’t like to cook,” Leonard laughed.
The menu and dates of curbside meals are announced via Mama G’s Facebook page, and they try to get as many orders taken in advance of the meal night so they can pinpoint the amount of supplies needed.
Those interested in ordering should text the business or email them, and they can pay in advance through Venmo or PayPal or pay onsite when they pick up their meal. Contact and email information is listed when the different meal nights are announced.
While Leonard said he could open as a restaurant, he said the restraints of doing so dissuaded him.
“The problem I saw with that and allowing people inside the facility is the restraints that they put on you and the time that you have to stay open till is only 11,” he said. “I didn’t find it would be beneficial.”
Wine or a six-pack of beer also is sold during the meal nights.
Leonard said past meals have included pastalaya and blackened chicken and andouille fettucine with a cream veal sauce and a crab cake.
“What I wanted to do is not try to compete with the restaurants who are hurting as well or other bars and come up with a menu that most people would go out of town to try to get something like that,” he said.
In about two weeks, Leonard plans to start selling to-go lunches on Monday through Friday, too.
After restrictions are lifted on bars and things return to normal, Leonard plans to continue to serve meals.