MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — A mother in Milledgeville opened her own restaurant. You might hear about things like that all the time, so what's unique about Momma Shay? It's her whole family, including two teen daughters, that work with her.
Sommer "Momma Shay" Cooper grew up in the kitchen cooking with her mother and grandmother.
"When I go home to Florida, we all go to my grandmother's house on Sunday. She cooks, and I like to eat," Cooper said. "I knew, living so far, the only way I was going to get that food was to know how to cook it."
It was only recently that "Momma Shay" began cooking to pay the bills.
"I was working a corporate job, but it was stressful. I was finding myself real depressed," Cooper said.
Cooper lost her job in April. With no place to go and daughters to feed, she made a bold choice to open her own spot, Momma Shay's Kitchen in Milledgeville, with her best friend Danielle Reeves.
"I liquidated my 401k, I maxed out all my cards," Cooper said laughing. "As soon as they gave me the OK to open up this restaurant, I said, 'I'm opening tomorrow.'"
That was back in June. Now, over a month later, her three daughters Shakori, 21, Dawnelle, 15, and Tamia, 13, all chef it up with her. Shakori came all the way from Texas.
"Literally, the day I got here, the restaurant was open, and I just put my apron on went to the back and I was, 'Alright, what do you need help with?'" Shakori said.
Everyone has their role. Shakori is the sous-chef, handling meals with Cooper. Dawnelle mans the phone and handles customer service out front. Tamia helps in the kitchen with tasks like the salads. The team cooks the same food that Cooper grew up eating and cooking with her mother and grandmother.
"We don't write it down -- you have to grow up in the kitchen. I grew up in the kitchen, just from being under my grandmom, my great grandmom, and my mom," Shakori said.
"That's why I teach my kids and let them be in the kitchen, because they have to see it and taste it and understand why we're doing it this way," Cooper said.
Each child understands that "Momma Shay's" goes beyond the food and the business, but not the family.
"I know what she's been through over the years and I've seen how she's struggled, so I want to do something for her like she did for me when she was taking care of me," Dawnelle said.
Dawnelle and Tamia both gave up their summer vacations to help mom out in the restaurant. Shakori and her husband skipped on living in Atlanta and bought a home in Milledgeville.
"The fact that my kids said, 'Momma, you know what? You can do it. You gave up so much for us, we're here.' It's more than what I could ask for," Cooper said.
Momma Shay's Kitchen is open every day 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. except for Sundays on North Wilkinson Street in Milledgeville.