Mama B’s brings new name, décor, logo and menu to a busy corner.
Yum, and welcome to the world of Flagstaff’s beloved burger joint – Mama B’s, formerly Mama Burger.
Established in 2009 and enjoying years of popularity, the restaurant re-emerged March 5 from an 18-month hiatus for a complete remodel of the restaurant’s building on North Fort Valley Road.
“We had our last day in July 2022,” said Bernadette Chavez, who co-owns the business with her husband, Pete Schepper. “It was an extensive project. We basically took this little building down to a dirt floor and stud walls. We’ve chalked up this project. Well, it’s like we’ve been pregnant for 18 months, and we’re so ready to have this!”
The reopening was a smash hit, with 148 shakes made within three-and-a-half hours on the Thursday after opening day.
“I think it reminds our customers of Flagstaff from back in the day,” Chavez said. “It’s got a throw-back feeling. Flagstaff has been undergoing major changes in the past few years, with big boxes coming to town. Flagstaff used to have a bit more grit to it.”
The original building was built in 1970 and started as The Big Steer Burger, to be followed in the early ‘80s by Mrs. Brown’s Burger Barn, Schepper said.
Chavez and Schepper are not newcomers to owning restaurants in Flagstaff.
Schepper and his brother, Brent Schepper, launched the original Fratelli Pizza in 2002 on Route 66 in downtown Flagstaff. Today, the Fratelli success includes three locations in town.
They say the scope of the proposed work on Mama Burger was intimidating, but they found the perfect contractor for the job, Mike Wilson, who had originally been hired as a driver at Fratelli when he was 17.
“My husband knew that Mike Wilson worked in this field and we reached out to him,” said Chavez. “He said, ‘Why don’t you let me and my dad have a jab at this?’ So, my husband and Mike were basically the designers for this building.”
One lucky purchase shaped the theme for the décor inside.
“When we closed down, I was able to buy Fred Wong’s multi-mixer that he had in the Grand Canyon Café,” said Chavez. “We were able to purchase this piece of iconic equipment. From the multi-mixer we started getting our ideas. It’s kind of this off-green color, a jade color, and we started using that as our focal point.”
Relocating the bathroom to an outside location, adding another patio facing the Flagstaff High School track and creating a new dry storage area and a roomier kitchen are all improvements that enhance access and functionality.
Also, the drive-thru has been converted to a digital drive-thru.
Completing the trendy diner look are fabricated counters, made by Mama B’s General Manager Ryan Boser, as well as tables with touches of local metal work and new tiles in a black-and-white checkered pattern.
“We cannot tell you how beautifully this building has turned out,” Chavez said. “I used to cringe coming in here. I always wanted to provide a better working environment for them. Now we have that. It’s just an amazing little building.”
An extensive hiring process in March topped off the to-do list for a successful reopening, made smoother by the rehiring of Boser (aka Budda), as general manager. “He was the former GM when we closed,” Chavez explained. “He reached out to me and asked if we had anybody to run the place. That was one of my fears, as we were getting closer to opening date. We didn’t have anyone we would trust to run it. He came onboard immediately. In doing so, we were able to get nine other employees that we had closed with to come back.”
Original plans called for expansion, but city requirements to level out the parking lot and provide a sidewalk before expansion proved too expensive.
“After doing the math, we did not have the funds,” she said. “We quickly realized we needed to stay within our walls, and we’re OK with doing that. We paid for this on our own, with no loans, which we’re very proud of.”
Delays caused by drawn out asbestos testing and a record-breaking hard winter extended the time of the remodeling project.
“We basically experienced one of the hardest winters that Flagstaff has had,” Chavez recalled. “Our contractor was up on the roof shoveling snow.”
Public interest in the timing of the reopening became more vocal, and rumors clouded the story.
“Rumors were going around that the building had sold, that it was under new management, but none of that was true,” she said. “We didn’t feel the need to inform the public. It kind of opens you up to a can of worms. Realistically, you don’t have answers, just waiting on other people as far as dates and times, so we were quiet.”
The renovation presented a timely chance to redo the graphics and menu for the diner and included a new name – Mama B’s – with a green chili as the apostrophe.
“The menu brought in a little more of a Southwest feel, a little spicier,” Chavez said.
“Currently there are only two returning burgers, the MOAB (The Mother of All Burgers), and the Mama Burger. There are three new burgers, and we downsized on our milkshakes. To soften the blow, we have specialty burgers and shakes.
Monthly specials will give the chefs an opportunity to bring back older items from the original menu, such as the Bleu Vader burger with mayo, bacon, grilled onion, lettuce, tomato, green peppers, and Gorgonzola cheese.
The Shake of the Month for March was the Girl Scout Thin Mint shake. Also served are floats and malts and customers can fashion their own malts with mix-in additions.
A new and fun burger on the menu is the Scheppy burger, a burger Schepper discovered in El Reno, Oklahoma that includes sweet onions shaved super thin and smashed into the beef.
In addition to ever-popular French fries, Mama B’s features tater tots, also big hits.
“I always find it interesting to have grown men come in and order tater tots, which is a staple offered in elementary schools,” she said with a laugh.
The current location, close to schools and neighborhoods, has also been fortuitous.
“It’s right next to Coconino Estates and down the road from Cheshire,” she noted. “We’re really it for them as far as restaurants.”
They also attract a steady stream of locals and visitors traveling up North Fort Valley Road on the way to the Museum of Northern Arizona, Arizona Snowbowl and beyond to the Grand Canyon, 75 miles north.
Chavez was born in Houston, Texas, but was raised in San Diego. Schepper was born in Bloomington, Indiana. They both moved to Flagstaff at 19 years old to attend Northern Arizona University and Coconino Community College respectively.
They met in Flagstaff and have been married 25 years. Their two grown daughters, Madeline and Olivia, were both born and raised in Flagstaff.
After studying business at CCC, Schepper started Fratelli Pizza with his brother.
Chavez was a probation officer for five years with Coconino County, before switching to being a full-time mother, while also assisting part-time at the family restaurants.
Fratelli Pizza has been greatly successful, with three locations now in Flagstaff, including one just down the road from Mama B’s.
“Mama B’s is happy to be back, and we’re excited about feeding Flagstaff once again whether it’s burgers, papas (potatoes) or shakes,” she said. FBN
By Betsey Bruner, FBN
Courtesy Photo: The corner burger place near Flagstaff High School, now Mama B’s, has re-opened with Southwestern flavor. Happy workers keep the kitchen sizzling.