By Inside Warren Staff

For 50 years, Mama’s has been an integral part of the greater Hackettstown community. Even during this challenging year of COVID, Mama’s Restaurant & Cafe Baci on Mountain Avenue has fully remained committed to their patrons–and their staff.  

“We’ve always taken pride in how we treat our customers–and team members,” said Austin Schiano, speaking on behalf of the Schiano family, which has owned the restaurant for generations. 

Mama’s commitment to community is no surprise when you look at its history.  And what a history it is.

A Storied Past

Mama’s beginnings have the makings for a Hollywood movie. It is a true story of how immigrant Antonio Schiano brought his family to America from Naples, Italy, on the boat, Michelangelo. He worked hard commuting from Brooklyn to New Jersey with his son, Luigi, eventually bringing the whole family to Hackettstown, where they settled into a small pizzeria in the old Hackettstown Mall.

Countless years have passed and Mama’s clearly has established itself as a Hackettstown staple. 

Mama’s has been owned and operated since 1970 by three generations of the Schiano family, with 2020 marking an astounding 50 years in business. The current Schiano generations include Austin Schiano, his father, Tom, his brother, Thomas, his cousin, Anthony, and his uncle, Luigi.

Indeed, Mama’s has been a place where friends and family have come together and grown in a vibrant way that only a community restaurant can facilitate. Over these many years, Mama’s has catered to the Dalai Lama, Al Pacino, Wally Amos of chocolate cookie fame, Celeste Holmes, Peter Tork of the Monkees, musician Cyril Neville, Congressman Neil Gallagher, and many other guests not as illustrious, perhaps, but just as valuable in the minds of the Schiano family. 

Many of the recipes they currently use date back to 1970–and before that, too!

A Legacy of Giving Back

Over the years, Mama’s has gained a reputation not just for its outstanding food and pizza, but has come to specialize in an array of dietary cuisines, including gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian, drawing customers near and far. 

Community commitment then and now, that’s Mama’s Restaurant and Cafe Baci, as it has been known for the past several years. Mama’s has always been giving when it comes to non-profits, and that continues to be the case, especially now that many non-profits are facing particularly tough times. Mama’s has also provided countless meals to frontline workers in the battle against COVID. 

Additionally, Mama’s has looked for other ways to help people cope during the pandemic. For example, if requested, Mama’s will have food delivered by a costumed character, bringing smiles and laughter to children and their families. But perhaps the most amazing give back is their bread project.

The bread project started early in the pandemic when a woman stopped by the restaurant and asked about purchasing a loaf of bread because she wanted to avoid large crowds at the market. Mama’s gave the woman a loaf of bread and did not charge her. That one good deed led to another and another and another. Fifteen thousand loaves of bread later, Mama’s is still giving away loaves of bread.

“Just another nice way of giving back to people,” said Austin Schiano, noting that patrons don’t even have to purchase anything to get the bread. For the Schianos, it’s what they have been doing from the start. 

Mama’s has also served as a place for young talent to grow, with hundreds of valued staff since its start. Mama’s dedication to its staff has always gone way beyond just a working relationship with its employees, but this year by doing what they can to keep them working and thriving during the challenge of COVID.

The one unanswered Mama’s question though, is who will play the part of Antonio Schiano in the Mama’s movie? Maybe Al Pacino?

For more about Mama’s visit mamascafebaci.com or check them out on Facebook.