(soft music)
Big mama.
Whether you were related to her or not
you could go to big mama for advice.
You definitely go to Big Mama's for a good meal.
That would make you feel loved me.
Give me the bowl not a big one a medium sized bowl.
She truly encompass with big mama means.
She was everything.
Good job.
I am Gladys Lacretia Harrison.
I am the owner of big mama's kitchen and catering.
We are a soul food restaurant in Omaha, Nebraska.
Big mama was my mother
and she was the founder and creator of big momma's kitchen.
My mom used food to bring people together
not just her family
but an extended family and all of her relationships.
My mother learned from her mother and from her grandmother
how to make something out of nothing.
And more importantly how to take what you love
or what you enjoy
and allow it to create some wealth for you.
She started her at home catering service right here
in this house that grew into the restaurant.
That's good ain't it?
You're the best.
You're the best too. I love you.
I love you too.
(upbeat music)
At one time, there were four generations
of us working at the restaurant.
You can't be one of Patricia Barron's children
or grandchildren and not put a day or two in washing dishes
or something at Big Mama's.
♪Hear me. ♪
The black community in Omaha, Nebraska
has always gone against the current.
We've always paved our own way.
♪Hear me. ♪
Big mama, Patricia barren fits into the fabric
of the history of the greatness of our city.
How many great folks have come out of this little area here?
It's just statistically doesn't make any sense.
Hall of Famer from baseball.
Bob Gibson, Johnny Rogers, the Heisman trophy winner.
Malcolm X was born right here in Omaha, Nebraska.
(soft music)
When we opened the restaurant, my mom made it a mission
that Big Mama's, was gonna be a place
where folks could get a second chance.
We have helped employees get enrolled in a culinary school.
We helped buy books, pay tuition.
When my mother passed away, we started a scholarship
at the local community college in her name.
It is inspiring to people that they see
that somebody is on purpose saying
by the criteria of the scholarship.
We want those of you that are having a tough time at this
to be supported, inspired.
And maybe that creates motivation
to carry on in your studies.
Yes, we are all in this together.
And those are things that my mother believed all her life
and she translated those in her personal life
and in her business.
In order for a family business to be around for generations
there's gotta be a roadmap or a recipe for how to carry
the business on.
Documenting your institutional knowledge.
Not just the recipes for how we fry the chicken
but how do you order the chicken
and who do you get the chicken from?
What is our vision?
Those are things that should still continue to be fulfilled.
Whether the person who founded the company are there or not.
In some areas my mom did a good job
in that in some areas, you know we didn't.
In hindsight, I would have asked her
you know, when she passed away,
we knew where the restaurant
wanted to be five years from then
but we didn't talk about 10 years or 15 years or 20 years.
I wish I would have talked to her about those things
and then document them.
(soft music)
With a family business.
You know, there needs to be conversations
about who's going to get what, you know
as far as ownership.
If there's multiple children
are you going to give a certain percentage
of the business to each child?
However, the owner wants to carry the business
on what they're gone.
Those wishes need to be expressed,
share it with an attorney
and put down in a legal document.
My mother, she was very hesitant in incorporating technology
in, you know, with the business.
Up until her last day at the restaurant,
she kept inventory in a spiral notebook,
you know, with a pen and paper.
One of the biggest challenges for me once I took over
has been, how can I use technology
to make the business operate better?
And so getting state of the art POS system.
Our point of sale system.
It was probably one of the best business decisions
that I've ever made.
'Cause I can do everything from my cell phone.
I can access all of our inventory, our sales information.
I can give discounts and promotions.
I mean, I can do everything.
So when I look at, you know, where Big Mama's is now
you know, when, where we came from,
we started in the kitchen, literally of our mom's home.
And now we've transitioned to a more modern space.
Even with that technology, our mission
and our goal at Big Mama's still hasn't changed.
We still want you to feel
like you're in the kitchen of your grandma.
She just, didn't upgrade it a little bit.
You know in big mama's mind
you can't have North Omaha without black people.
And yes, we're a part of this revitalization
that's going on in North Omaha
but at its core, there's black people.
And she wanted to ensure that in the transition
at that core black people would continue
to be a part of the story of North Omaha.
(smooth humming music)
Nothing makes me happier when someone comes
and eats and their reaction is,
Oh my God that was the best meal I've ever had.
And all of the struggle
and all of the sacrifices are worth it.
That's just affirmation for me
that I'm doing my mom proud
and that we're doing what we're supposed to do.