Co-owner and chef Ivan Felix serving up mouth-watering dishes at the Mamou.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
SPRINGFIELD — After closing its doors during the coronavirus pandemic, the Mamou Restaurant is back and running.
Now located at 272 Worthington St., new owners and chefs Ivan Felix and Jose G. Correa are taking over the mantle and continuing the legacy of original owner Chef Wayne Hooker.
Felix said, “Since we’ve opened, we’ve gotten quite the support from the community. A lot of happy people, people that are excited that we have returned and it’s been steady. We’ve been doing great business since we’ve opened.”
He went on to say, “We’re reintroducing a lot of the old classics, but also putting new spins on different dishes with a Cajun Louisiana flair to it. We’ll be doing more innovative, different kinds of plating and creations as we go along. We’re putting it all together as we speak, but to start, we wanted to just open the doors with what people have been looking for or missing.”
Since April 6, 1996, Hooker filled the hearts and bellies of downtown Springfield with jambalaya, gumbo, etouffee, crawfish boulets, Cajun quesadillas and Creole mussels at Liberty Street before closing in 2020. “People have been waiting and it’s overwhelming,” said Hooker. “They love the Mamou and they’re happy that it’s back.”
He now serves as a consultant and works with Felix and Correa.
“We want to pay homage to Wayne,” Felix said. “He worked so hard and garnered the love of this community. Seeing the smiles on people’s faces that have fond memories of this restaurant has been fulfilling for me. We’d like to utilize this platform to show our surrounding community that anything is possible. It’s hard work and consistency.”
The Mamou Restaurant is currently open Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 3-9:30 p.m.
