Momo’s Cafe resurrected with temporary second location – Times Herald Online
For over six months now, locally-loved Momo’s Cafe doors have been closed.
Until now.
The cafe, closed after a February fire on Marin Street forced several businesses to close, has finally raised enough funds to secure a temporary second location — a temporary spot at 1922 Broadway St., offering its full menu for take-out only.
The new space — what co-owner “Manny” Melendrez describes as a former “commissary ghost kitchen” — has since been transformed into a take-out only reflection of the beloved cafe.
Although the new location looks a little different, its owners are still giving each dish the same care and attention as they have for over a decade. The full cafe menu, from huevos rancheros to their fan-favorite fried chicken, is now available Thursday through Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Even though the spot is currently running on a take-out basis, the family is hard at work to establish dine-in service to restore some of their classic Momo’s charm.
Melendrez is hopeful that with enough support, the temporary location is a step in the right direction.
“It hurts for us to be down because we fed a lot of people on a regular day that don’t have any money,” he said. Even without the funds, “we’ll feed them.”
In the past, Momo’s Cafe has had an extensive history of community involvement, sponsoring events and — with the help of friend and local Hip Hop artist LaRussell — has even transformed into a “proud 2 pay café.”
Whether it’s picking up the tab for hungry locals or sponsoring philanthropic events, the cafe has always aimed to lend a helping hand to its city. This time around, they’re seeking the same.
The first weekend Momo’s Cafe reopened, the support was felt.
“A lot of people came and overpaid for their meals,” said Melendrez. “So that helped out a lot.”
However, in its second weekend of business, that support has since fizzled out.
“It was really slow,” said Melendrez. “We barely made enough money to pay for the rental space that we are occupying. And that hurts because you have food that doesn’t sell, so you have to throw it away.”
Since the fire that erupted back in February at the neighboring Buy, Sell, and Trade shop, the struggle for Momo’s Cafe has been real.
“I had to sell my truck, sell my chains, just to gather enough funds to pay some bills,” said Melendrez, “to have just enough to put back into our merch business.”
Though damage to the cafe only included residual smoke damage, it was enough to halt operations. The layers of smoke on the walls, tables, and equipment forced them to throw everything out, and internally at least, start from scratch.
Since then, the building has been shut down until the landlord determines its next steps.
The GoFundMe page, which the Melendrez family published just days after the fire broke out, has since gathered over $16,000 in community donations. The support, they say, came as no surprise.
“We feel nothing but love … the community has been behind us before, with certain situations like this, so I knew they’d be behind us,” Melendrez said.
In another effort to raise funds, they’ve been pushing Momo’s Cafe merchandise alongside family and close friends, including LaRussell. With his help, at his local shows, the sales of their “Reopen Momo’s Cafe” hoodies and tees and iconic “Vallejo” merchandise have all helped to further the potential for a permanent fix.
“We really need the community to come out and support us while we are at this temporary location,” said Melendrez. “We really need the help to get back because we’re still going to need to raise money to get back into our other building, because we are going to have to start from scratch, buying equipment, materials, and marketing.”
With enough success, the new spot on Broadway can serve as one step closer to the cafe’s permanent reopening.
Merchandise can be found online and in-store at 1922 Broadway St.
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