Mo's Midtown Restaurant, located at 25 Whitney Street, has
been known for serving up some of the best breakfasts in town
for over a decade. The West End eatery is filled to capacity,
with even more people waiting in line outside, virtually every
morning. But few of Mo's loyal fans know that the restaurant's
existence is not due to a smart business plan, but to an effort
to improve the neighborhood.
By 1986 the original Mo's (once known as "Kathy's")
had gone out of business. Later that year, according to neighborhood
resident John Gale, he and his neighbors became concerned about
the abandoned business. After much discussion, Gale and neighbors
Ray Seligson and Brent Harold decided to reopened Mo's Midtown
in March of 1997 with a loan from Fleet Bank.
"We redesigned the interior to create the look that you
see today. We created an awning look for the exterior. We created
a menu that inclued The Mama Mo, Daddy Mo, Egg McMo and Mo Burger.
My wife, Tracy Gale, started making the soups at 5 am each morning.
The first manager of the restuarant was Bill Hagan's sister,
Mary.
Following her, Mark Monroe, a former waiter at Shenanigan's.
He came from San Diego and added Huevos Rancheros to the menu.
The next manager was Lousiana Lenny who delighted folks with
the Ragin' Cajun omelet and other New Orleans favorites."
said Gale.
In 1988, the luncheonette received awards for Best Breakfast
from the Hartford Advocate and Connecticut Magazine.
"Our neighborhood mission was accomplished and very successfully
so we decided to put it on the market. Theresa Matuzko bought
the property in 1989 and Lester Baluka, became the new chef but
kept the same menu in place. After many successful years Theresa
decided to sell to Hartford residents Stanley and Ewa Nowak."
said Gale.
