Restaurant Name: MamiMosas
Owner: Abby and Jorge Rodriguez
Location: Covina, CA
Number of Seats: 65
Number of Staff Per Shift: 6 to 8
Busiest: Saturdays and Sunday
Staff List - Edgar (cook), Josh (lead server), Lia (server), Jerardo (kitchen night cook), Becky (manager), Lucio (barista/server/FOH)
Abby has owned Mamimosas for two years, but the story began long before that. At 33, she brings over a decade of experience in the restaurant world, starting as a wide-eyed server at 16 and working her way through every front-of-house position she could. Her love for Cuban cuisine was born in an Orange County Cuban restaurant, where she fell in love not just with the flavors, but with the culture, hospitality, and heart behind every dish. For years, she dreamed of opening a place of her own: a bright, feminine, Latin-flair brunch spot built on community, comfort, and empowerment.
In 2023, she finally took a leap of faith and opened Mamimosas on a wing and a prayer. It was her dream, her risk, her everything. She met her now-husband, Jorge, while the restaurant was already up and running and as their relationship grew, so did his connection to her mission. Together they own and operate the restaurant and have pushed through more challenges than they ever expected. They’ve even discussed selling the business more than once… but something always pulled them back: the belief that Mamimosas could be great, if they could just get it under control.
“Mamimosas,” is a playful nod to female empowerment, blends Cuban and Mexican influences with classic American brunch staples. Weekends are slammed, but weekdays are painfully slow, forcing them to eliminate late-afternoon and evening hours altogether. And with that slowdown has come a painful realization: the staff simply doesn’t share the same passion Abby poured into the place. She finds herself frustrated watching employees cut corners, avoid extra tasks, and resist improvements that could genuinely help the restaurant succeed.
There have also been growing concerns inside the kitchen. Abby and Jorge have noticed slipping standards when they’re not physically present: cleanliness issues, and sloppy food handling. A customer recently found a hair in their food, and the kitchen has been caught letting things slide, especially around cleaning, labeling, and basic hygiene. Abby worries the menu may be too large to execute consistently and safely with the limited training their team has. Aside from the chef, no one in the kitchen has formal culinary experience, which often creates tension and leaves Jorge stepping in as an informal mediator between the front and back of house.
Both owners are passionate, but neither has prior experience actually running a restaurant and the cracks are beginning to show. Training gaps, operational confusion, storage issues, inconsistent execution, and morale problems have all piled up, leaving Abby feeling overwhelmed and carrying the weight of the entire dream on her shoulders. Mamimosas was supposed to be her future, her purpose. But now she fears that if things don’t turn around soon, she could lose everything she worked for… including the dream that started it all.
Staff training None of Abby’s employees, aside from her chef, have had any formal training, which has created a significant disconnect between the kitchen and the rest of the team. Tension between the front of house and back of house has grown to the point where the two sides struggle to respect one another. As a result, Jorge often finds himself acting as a mediator, constantly stepping in to bridge the gap and keep operations running smoothly. Servers get easily overwhelmed and confused during their busiest weekend shifts.
Inexperienced owners- The owners themselves also lack experience in running a restaurant. Their passion for food inspired them to enter the business, but they continue to struggle with creating structure, defining clear job roles, maintaining consistency, and establishing accountability throughout the restaurant.
Wait staff- Lia, the restaurant’s strongest server, is reluctant to train new staff because she wants to maximize her own earning potential. Although she recognizes her role as the head server, she’s resistant to sharing responsibilities or making space for others to grow. Abby doesn’t want to get involved because she sees the hustle and how much money Lia is able to bring in on her own. Lia also intimidates new employees causing turnover at the business.
Cleanliness- There are also serious gaps in labeling, food management, and proper handling. These issues are significant enough that the health department has specifically noted the need for improvement in these areas. Customers have even noticed that there are fruit flies in the restaurant and sometimes in food!
Difference in service when the owners are not there- Abby and Jorge believe that there are significant shortcuts when Abby and Jorge are not in the restaurant. Servers will call out when they know the main bosses won’t be there. They will also do things differently than how Abby has instructed them to do when she is not there.
Technique- Abby has noticed significant inconsistencies in food preparation. Knife skills need improvement to ensure dishes are visually appealing and uniform. There’s also no shared understanding of the restaurant’s recipes among the staff, leading to variations in flavor and presentation. Even foundational items, like Hollandaise sauce, are difficult for the team to execute consistently.
Course timing- Abby’s staff struggles to maintain the proper pacing for serving dishes. They often focus on completing tickets as quickly as possible, without following the intended sequence of courses: appetizers, mains, leading to a disjointed dining experience for customers.