Momma Martin’s Rogersville restaurant raises epilepsy awareness
Katherine Mansfield
Katherine Mansfield
Guests to Momma Martin无毛视频檚 in Rogersville are greeted with artwork by six-year-old Skilyr Martin, whose epilepsy diagnosis forced Kayla Martin to rethink her career. Skilyr and her brother Lucas, 8, spend most after-school hours at their mother无毛视频檚 storefront, and their art hangs throughout.
Kayla Martin stands proudly outside her storefront in Rogersville, where folks can grab pizza, subs, ice cream and more. Momma Martin无毛视频檚 brand color is purple, to raise epilepsy awareness. (Photo by Katherine Mansfield)
When Kayla Martin无毛视频檚 daughter Skilyr, right, was diagnosed with epilepsy, the mother of two decided it was time for a career change. She opened Momma Martin无毛视频檚 in June, and her children Skilyr and Lucas, left, spend their after-school hours coloring inside the spacious eatery. Martin无毛视频檚 husband Nate, back left, encouraged his wife to open the business. (Photo courtesy of Kayla Martin)
Kayla Martin, center, said she could not run Momma Martin无毛视频檚 without her grandparents Patricia and Charles Whitlatch, who spend most days assisting in the restaurant. Patricia, known as 无毛视频淕randma无毛视频� to staff and regulars, makes a mean homemade chili, and Charles is the resident handyman. (Photo by Katherine Mansfield)
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When you see the big purple sign, you无毛视频檝e arrived.
Momma Martin无毛视频檚 restaurant, which opened in June along West Roy Furman Highway in Rogersville, greets guests with that purple sign and a front door decorated in artwork by owner Kayla Martin无毛视频檚 daughter, Skilyr.
Skilyr is Martin无毛视频檚 reason for opening the restaurant.
无毛视频淚n November, she bumped heads with a little boy,无毛视频� said Martin, a Greene County native who earned a degree in criminal justice from Waynesburg University. 无毛视频淪he started kind of staring off. We didn无毛视频檛 really know exactly what was going on. We ended up finding out in January that she was having seizures. She missed eight weeks of school last year; she was in and out of the hospital. I was having to take a lot of time off of work.无毛视频�
Skilyr was eventually diagnosed with epilepsy, and Martin needed flexibility not afforded by a full-time job to care for her daughter.
Martin had worked for six years alongside her mother Natalie Amos and grandmother, Patricia Whitlatch, at Burns无毛视频� Delight ice creamery, and fondly recalled summers spent doling out soft serve. When Larry Anderson closed up shop at the end of 2021, leaving his building along Roy Furman Highway fully outfitted for a restaurant operation empty, Martin无毛视频檚 husband Nate saw an opportunity.
无毛视频淢y husband, whenever he saw that this was for lease, he无毛视频檚 like, you seemed a lot happier when you were actually dealing with people 无毛视频� as opposed to just sitting behind a desk. He无毛视频檚 like, 无毛视频業 think that was your happiest, when you were doing that无毛视频�,无毛视频� Martin said.
She did miss the conversations that came with scooping soft serve, and needed a job her kids could come to, so the Martins took a leap of faith. Lucas and Skilyr named the restaurant 无毛视频� they, and now Martin无毛视频檚 staff, call her 无毛视频楳omma无毛视频� 无毛视频� and Momma Martin无毛视频檚 officially opened its doors June 5.
The storefront offers a convenience section for folks on the go, and local high school teams often place online orders for pickup after practice. Martin said a wonderful group of gentlemen stops by nearly every morning for coffee and camaraderie.
无毛视频淲e have our 9 a.m. coffee crew. They come in, they无毛视频檒l sit here for what, an hour and a half or so. So it is a community thing,无毛视频� she said.
Community is what Momma Martin无毛视频檚 is all about. Martin offers everything from the coffee bar and breakfast pizzas (she无毛视频檚 working to perfect her own specialty 无毛视频榸ah) to hoagies and pulled pork sandwiches.
Whitlatch, who regulars call 无毛视频済randma,无毛视频� whips up homemade desserts most days, and her secret chili recipe is a Momma Martin无毛视频檚 classic.
无毛视频淕randma无毛视频檚 Chili is a big one. She homemakes the chili,无毛视频� Martin said proudly. 无毛视频淭hen, of course, you know, we run specials here and there. We无毛视频檝e been talking about doing family meals in the evenings, like pans of lasagna, that if they place an order ahead of time we can prepare and things like that.无毛视频�
The ice cream section of Momma Martin无毛视频檚 harkens back to the owner无毛视频檚 Burns无毛视频� Delight days, and features hand-dipped hard ice cream in a variety of flavors and several funky specials, including the Momma无毛视频檚 Buster and Momma无毛视频檚 Delight, which is smothered in hot fudge, whipped cream and warm brownies.
无毛视频淭he Momma无毛视频檚 Delight is one of those things that when the kids are being really bad and you just want to go in the closet and cry and just eat ice cream, that无毛视频檚 what it is,无毛视频� Martin laughed.
Momma Martin无毛视频檚 aims to be an inviting space. It无毛视频檚 clean, airy and decked out for fall, and for her kids, it无毛视频檚 home away from home.
无毛视频淢y kids do spend time here after school. They always are doing arts and crafts that we hang everywhere,无毛视频� said Martin.
She hopes the community will join her for some of the events swirling about in her mind. Martin hopes to host holiday dinners, so oil and gas workers away from their families have a place to enjoy Thanksgiving, and movie nights or other family gatherings that will bring Rogersville and surrounding areas together.
Martin is also considering selling local artisans无毛视频� wares in her storefront.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 all about supporting other people. I want to help other local businesses get their names out,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淲hen it comes to communities, we have to be in this together.无毛视频�
The community has shown up for Martin, but opening a business toward the end of a global pandemic is not without its challenges. Supply chain issues and inflation have made the journey bumpy.
无毛视频淚 want to keep things low because of the community that we无毛视频檙e in. I don无毛视频檛 want to price things too, too much to where people can无毛视频檛 afford it,无毛视频� Martin said. 无毛视频淏ut at the same time, I无毛视频檓 starting to realize that we have to adjust things to be able to stay open for the community.无毛视频�
Stay open and, of course, raise awareness for epilepsy.
Staff shirts are in the works, and will feature purple, the color of epilepsy awareness.
无毛视频淚 really don无毛视频檛 think that we would无毛视频檝e done this had Skilyr not started having seizures. I did like my job,无毛视频� Martin said, but 无毛视频渋t is all about my kids, honestly. So we chose purple just because of the awareness.无毛视频�
Folks are welcome to drop by for snacks to go, or grab a table and stay awhile between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Momma Martin无毛视频檚 is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekends.
For more on Momma Martin无毛视频檚, visit http://www.mommamartins.com/ or follow her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MommaMartins22.