On today’s episode of #localbites we’re talking to Mo Alhakim, owner of Mo’z Cafe. Mo started at the Marriott as a valet before becoming a manager at a restaurant. Years later, Mo’z Cafe was opened. Mo’z Cafe has been open for over 15 years and Moe is telling us what it’s like to open and own multiple locations. When COVID-19 came, Mo lost two of his locations leaving only one. At his current location, there is a loyal customer base in his small town and Mo is talking about how to build your cafe to what you want it to be. The biggest lessons Mo has to teach is to keep things simple and be on time, so listen in to find out more from the owner of Mo’z Cafe.
[00:00] Show intro
[00:30] Welcome to Moe
[00:38] How Moe ended up in the restaurant industry
[01:27] Why Moe wanted his own cafe
[01:57] 15 years of success
[02:29] Opening a second location
[03:29] The emotions of the pandemic
[04:27] Moe’s reason for fighting through
[05:20] Creating a loyal customer base
[06:09] Building something the community wants
[06:40] The biggest challenges before the pandemic
[08:54] Business people and fast service with relationship
[09:42] Mountains that have been overcome
[10:19] What would Moe do differently next time?
[11:16] Supply chain issues
[12:57] Advice for someone who wants to start their own cafe
[14:22] Outro