Photography by Stephen Buchanan
Mamma Roma, an Italian restaurant in Odenton, is all about family. Brothers Bruno and Rino share the day-to-day operations. Bruno handles the finances and Chef Rino, supervises the kitchen.
But the heart and soul of the operation is their mother, Teresa Romeo. She still greets customers from behind the counter, just a couple feet from the front door. The thriving restaurant opened in 2005 and will celebrate its 19th anniversary in January.
“In the beginning, it was hard work,” says Bruno, whose family is from Naples, Italy. “It took time to realize who was doing what. It’s wonderful now. Each one of us has a position. I can sleep well.”
The family’s history with restaurants goes back to the 1950s. The Romeos owned a chain of restaurants called Mamma Lucia, which their father Antonio ran.
Today, Mamma Roma’s customers crave pizza and lasagna. The Piccolo Espresso Bar is also a big hit. It features Kimbo brand coffee directly imported from Italy and a bevy of freshly-made desserts.
“I have tried a lot of coffee, and I think it’s the best I have had,” Bruno says.
To learn more, we sat down with the 40-year-old Bruno to discuss Mamma Roma.
Photography by Stephen Buchanan
Do you use the same recipes that come from the family decades ago? Mamma Roma is the new generation. But our lasagna and pizza recipes go back to the 1950s. The recipes are from my mother and grandmother. I can say it gives us an edge. We stick to tradition. We sell so much pizza and lasagna, and people just get hooked. Why do we want to change? People love us and it has been proven by the business being good for so many years.
Is the restaurant centered around your mom? She is the symbol of the restaurant. She greets all the customers and takes each and every order. Every customer that comes to the door for dining or carry-out needs to go through Mamma. Everybody calls her Mamma. Even the employees do.
What items are top selling? Pizza comes first. We have been sticking to the traditional recipes and ingredients. The meat pizzas are the ones that sell the most. The pizza tastes wonderful. It’s simply amazing. Pasta is another one of our best sellers, and with seafood. Customers love Fettuccini Mediterranean and Seafood Extravaganza.
Tell me about the Piccolo Espresso Bar. We have had it for about five years now. It’s unique. I was in Italy in 2016 and got the idea for it. I felt we were missing an espresso bar. We have it so people at the end of their meal can have a traditional, homemade cannoli or a Sfogliatella (pastry), which is a tradition in Naples. We have seven desserts overall. We also have a display of 10-to-15 home-made cookies. You can’t find these types of cookies anywhere else.
There are a lot of Italian restaurants in the county. What separates yours from others? Nineteen years. God Bless that we are still in business. We really believe in what we do and are very passionate. It started as work and now it’s our passion. That’s the difference. We really believe in what we do, and really care. It’s literally my life. I spend so much time at the business. When I am not here, my brother Rino [who worked under one of Italy’s best chefs, Piero Sacchetti] takes over.
Photography by Stephen Buchanan
What keeps the customers coming back? Our food is very consistent. That is the number one thing. Number two is that we are a family operation. Our customers feel like part of a big family because that’s how we treat them. We have been in the community a long time and know so many of the customers that come here.
Your curbside service makes for a crowded scene on some days right outside the restaurant. Please explain that. It actually started three years before the pandemic, in 2016. I was kind of skeptical in the beginning. But we had to build it and try new things and kept changing and kept changing until we got the right combination. It just exploded during the pandemic. It was good we had a system in place. We easily do 80 cars on a weekend. Sometimes, we have a dozen cars lined up. It’s a good part of our business. It’s convenient, free, and fast.
Tell me about your catering business. Years ago, the customers kept asking, “Can I have a big meal? Can I have a big container?” Our catering started about 10 years ago and we didn’t pay that much attention because we were so focused on growing the business and menu. The next thing you know, catering exploded. We are doing parties for Christmas, Mother’s Day, Easter, the end of school year, birthdays, graduation, and summer events. We also do lunches for offices. We do so much catering, it is unbelievable. It’s a business itself. That’s how big it is.
Some loyal or even new customers may not know about what your business offers at the nearby Piney Orchard Ice Rink. Tell me about the food service there. We just started a Mamma food hall there in July. We use their kitchen and have an online concept. We have two menus. Our focus with one is on rice bowls, and you prepare your own bowl. We have hot dogs prepared the way you want and fresh-cut fries on the other menu. We have curbside service. We already had a concession stand there for five years with beer, wine, and snacks to help you enjoy watching a hockey game.
Mamma Roma 8743 Piney Orchard Parkway, Odenton | 410-695-0247 | mammaromas.com
