KEARNS, Utah — It’s National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, and FOX 13 News is spotlighting the small and independent businesses that infuse both character and cash into the local economy.
That includes "MOM’s" in Kearns, which exudes a homey vibe the moment you walk through their doors.
Part of the restaurant is set up like a living room from the 1950s, complete with a television and telephone from that era.
The Kelaidis family first opened MOM’s in 1991 in West Jordan. They closed it a few years later in the mid-90s but gave it another go in 2021.
The reopening was a move that Demetri calls “hopefully brave," considering the pandemic shuttered around 90,000 restaurants nationwide.
“As most small businesses, it has been hard to come along, but people have accepted us,” Demetri explains.
Now, MOM’s is facing an uphill battle financially, just like many small businesses across the United States, because of the economic landscape, which Demetri and his brother George says makes it harder for mom-and-pop businesses to stay afloat.
They still manage to keep prices low for breakfast staples despite inflation. Currently, they serve two eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns for $5.95.
Demetri laughed as he explains how they keep prices so low, “We just don’t pay ourselves.”
George adds that they actually see less value in making money and cherish the quality time they get to spend together.
“That comes in with the passion of working with my brother and the family,” he says. I can't replace the partnership. It’s well worth it for me.”
Long-term, the Kelaidis family hopes their friendliness and family vibes continue to catch on in the community as we continue to emerge from the pandemic.
