Feeding Community, Preserving Legacy: An Interview with Gladys Harrison of Big Mama’s Kitchen & Catering
Few restaurants in Omaha carry a legacy as rich—or as rooted in love—as Big Mama’s Kitchen & Catering. Since opening its doors in 2007, Big Mama’s has become a destination for soul food, community connection, and generational entrepreneurship. We sat down with Gladys Harrison, owner of Big Mama’s Kitchen, to talk about her family’s history, the evolution of the business, and the vision driving its future.
Growing Up in Big Mama’s Kitchen
My name is Gladys Harrison, and I’m the owner of Big Mama’s Kitchen and Catering.
Gladys laughs when she says she “started working at the restaurant basically at birth.” Before Big Mama’s was a brick-and-mortar restaurant, it was an in-home catering service run by her mother, Patricia “Big Mama” Barron, for over 40 years. Everyone in the family had a job—including the little ones.
As a child, Gladys washed dishes, helped fill piping bags, traced wax-paper liners for cakes, and even learned to make icing roses by hand. “I was licking the cake batter off the spoon too,” she adds. “Food and family were always intertwined.”
When Big Mama began catering outside the home, the whole family pitched in—prepping, loading, delivering, and setting up events. Later, when weekend food sales began out of Big Mama’s home kitchen, Gladys became the designated emailer, flyer-maker, and menu creator.
“I was born into Big Mama’s Kitchen,” she says.
And by the time the family opened their first official restaurant in 2007, Gladys and her sisters were already seasoned veterans.
Finding Their First Location: A Leap of Faith
In the mid-2000s, conversations about revitalizing North Omaha were gaining momentum. Gladys and her mother attended community meetings hosted by organizations like the Empowerment Network, eager to be part of rebuilding the neighborhood Big Mama had grown up in.
During one meeting, they met Gail Ross, director of Turning Point, an organization housed on the former campus of the Nebraska School for the Deaf. Gail heard they were looking for a restaurant space and repeatedly encouraged them to consider a cafeteria space on the campus.
Big Mama refused—three times.
The fenced-in campus looked too much like an old school, and the dining room still smelled like 1960s cafeteria food. But after prayer, reflection, and much persistence from Gail, Big Mama agreed to take a look. Once they stepped into the enormous, fully equipped production kitchen—complete with walk-ins, a tilt skillet, ovens, and the beloved pellet-ice machine—the vision finally clicked.
Gladys remembers: “My sisters and I said, ‘Mom, this is it.’”
They stripped out the cafeteria furniture, repainted, brought décor from Big Mama’s home, and created a warm, kitchen-table atmosphere. Big Mama’s love of yellow and leopard print made its way into the dining room, because—as she always said—“leopard is not just a print, it’s an attitude.”
They opened on December 4, 2007, and held their grand opening on February 4, 2008—Big Mama’s birthday.
Overcoming Challenges and Gaining National Attention
Financing the restaurant was a battle. Banks told Big Mama she was “too old” and that her daughters didn’t know enough to run a restaurant. But with help from the Omaha Small Business Network, a small loan, retirement funds, and credit cards, the family opened their doors.
Then came the surprise that changed everything:
“Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”.
“Had it not been for that show, we wouldn’t be here today,” Gladys says. “It brought people then, and it still brings people now. Every single day, someone walks in because they saw us on Triple D.”
In 2016, Big Mama’s was invited to join the new 75 North development, a mixed-income, community-focused neighborhood on 30th Street. The new restaurant—a bright, modern, window-lined space—was designed to be part of a food-hall environment. Big Mama participated in the design, though she passed away before the new space opened in January 2020.
A few months later, COVID-19 arrived.
Everything changed. Large gatherings vanished. Full-service catering disappeared overnight. Customers wanted individually boxed meals. The team had to reinvent processes—again and again.
“We’ve pivoted more in the last five years than at any point in our history,” Gladys says. “But we’re still here. The food is still made the way Big Mama taught us.”
A Vision for the Future: Feeding the World, Creating Opportunity
Big Mama’s dream was clear:
Feed people all over the world.
Gladys doesn’t envision franchising—not when the food is real, hand-seasoned, and handcrafted. Instead, she and her sisters expanded in a different direction:
The Seasoning Line
The signature fried chicken seasoning—passed down from Gladys’s great-grandmother—was once blended in-house by hand. Now it’s professionally produced, labeled, and ready for retail nationwide.
The line includes:
- Fried Chicken Seasoning
- No-Salt Seasoning (a family favorite)
- “Pitmaster in a Bottle” Dry Rub
- “On Anything” Seasoning
- Cornbread Mix (over 100 years old)
- Golden Fry Mix
This expansion opens the door to grocery stores, specialty markets, and online national shipping.
Prepared Meals & SNAP Accessibility
Gladys also envisions heat-and-eat meals—healthy, low-sodium, home-style dishes that families, seniors, and caregivers can easily warm at home. She hopes to see them available in local markets, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and eventually via SNAP benefits.
“This can create living-wage jobs and real economic opportunity,” she says. “Food can lift families out of poverty.”
The Heart of North Omaha
Beyond the restaurant, Gladys speaks passionately about the cultural and economic importance of North Omaha.
“North Omaha has always been vibrant,” she says. “There’s immense talent, deep history, beautiful culture. We’ve contributed so much to the city’s growth.”
Events like Native Omaha Days and Christmas in the Village showcase the community’s strength and draw people from across the country. Big Mama’s, thanks to its national exposure, has long been a quiet tourism engine—bringing visitors, hotel stays, and local spending into the city.
“We once had a couple fly here from England just to eat at Big Mama’s,” Gladys recalls.
Encouraging the Next Generation
When asked what advice she has for aspiring entrepreneurs, Gladys offers a simple truth:
“Whatever you love to do—find a way to monetize it. When you enjoy the work, it doesn’t just create income. It brings joy.”
Holiday Offerings
Big Mama’s is preparing for a busy holiday season with a full heat-and-eat Thanksgiving catering menu, including:
- Smoked, roasted, or deep-fried turkeys
- Cornbread dressing
- Macaroni and cheese
- Sweet potato pudding
- Red beans and rice
- Sweet potato pie
- And more family favorites
All dishes are prepackaged in oven-ready containers with heating instructions.
The team will close Thanksgiving Day through the following Saturday for a much-needed rest and reopen December 1.
Black Friday Seasoning Sale
All seasonings make excellent holiday gifts, and several items—including recipes from Gladys’s upcoming digital cookbook—will be available at special Black Friday pricing.
A Legacy of Love
As we wrapped up our conversation, Gladys reflected on her mother’s mission:
“My mother was adamant about making the world better than she found it. That’s what my family and I are trying to do—use our gifts to make Omaha better for everyone.”
Big Mama’s Kitchen continues to honor that legacy—feeding the community, creating opportunity, and proving that soul food is more than a meal. It’s connection. It’s culture. It’s love served hot.
Big Mama’s Kitchen
2112 North 30th Street Highlander Accelerator, Suite 201
Omaha, NE 68111
(402) 455-6262
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Holiday orders are being taken for Christmas.
