PERHAM — The former faces of a more than 30-year-old Perham business have passed the torch to two brand-new owners. The former owner of the family restaurant Mrs. B's, Lola Bachmann, recently decided it was time for her to retire. So she and her daughter, Missy Bachmann, sold the business to Tori Nash and her son Josh.
With the Nashes now at the head of the business, Mrs. B's has earned a new name to reflect the change: Mama T's.
"When (the kids) were young, this is where we came for breakfast," Tori shared. "So this (restaurant) is kind of a family thing anyway. We had known that it was up for sale, and it just kind of fell into place, I guess. (Lola) was ready to retire, and they kind of teased us about buying it. So we just decided to jump in with both feet."
As one local family steps down, another takes the reins. Regular customers need not worry, however. While the Nashes will certainly add their own twist to Mama T's, a lot of the previous menu items will remain in place. They'll continue to serve breakfast and lunch, and they hope to offer dinner as well in the future.
Tori likened this transition to moving into a new home. The structure and the foundations will stay the same, but they'll put up new blinds or paintings to add their own ties to the space. This applies to both the physical space and the menu. While they've made a few changes to the space — such as moving around the booths, adding a new bar and making the kitchen space visible — it will still be recognizable. The same can be said for the menu. While a lot of the options will remain similar, they'll also offer new ones, such as gluten-free foods.
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"When you came into here, and you knew that Lola was in the back and you saw Missy, and she automatically knew what you wanted but you told her anyway just in case," Tori said, reflecting on what people loved about the restaurant. "You're coming into a place you're comfortable with, and that's what we wanted. You're going to come in and have a cup of coffee sitting at our kitchen table."
Josh continued, "You can make breakfast at home, or you can come here and have a homemade breakfast."
The process of purchasing the business was a fast one for Josh and Tori. They made the decision toward the end of February, and now — less than two months later — they're busy at work prepping to open.
After the Bachmanns handed off ownership to the Nashes, the restaurant closed and has remained so since March 26. Since then, Tori and Josh (along with other family members and friends) have been in the building renovating, moving around furniture and learning how to use the cooking equipment. They want to make sure they have everything up and running at 100% when they finally reopen.
Lola and Missy leave behind a legacy of loyal customers, and Josh and Tori have already seen this for themselves. Tori herself has talked to devoted customers and answered many phone calls checking on the restaurant's status.
She even shared a story about a phone call she got all the way from the Twin Cities. A husband and wife called on speaker phone to ask all about where Mrs. B went, what the restaurant will serve and what changes they'll make.
"I said, 'We're not changing the overall footprint of what Lola's done, but she was ready to retire,'" Tori remembered. "They said, 'Oh, well that's good. That's good. Well, when we get up there, we will be sure to stop in."
These loyal customers are concerned because they've been coming to the restaurant for years and they love it. One customer in Detroit Lakes even called to ask about the restaurant's status because they eat there each Friday.
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Lola and Missy both expressed gratitude to their loyal customers throughout the years. Though the Bachmanns are ready to move on, they've definitely left a legacy that Mama T's will carry on.
"Thank you for supporting us all these years," Lola said. "We enjoyed (our customers) or we wouldn't have stayed this long. We got to be friends with many, many people through here."
Missy added, "Thank you. We appreciate all your business. They have to keep coming back to you to keep your business open."
If everything falls into place, Tori and Josh plan to open Mama T's in the next few weeks. They don't have a concrete timeline just yet due to recent extreme weather and other time constraints. They want to make sure that they're ready to be fully up and running on the first day.
Eventually, they'll have a new Facebook page for customers in search of new information. Tori mentioned that loyal customers who come to check on the process should keep returning. Once they open, they'll be ready to serve those who stop by starting at 7 a.m.
"We want people to feel just as at home with us as they were with Lola and Missy," Tori said.
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