May 2021 Update: Since sharing this story in our 2020 alumni magazine, Mom’s Basement has now reopened with regular hours and their favorite things: karaoke, pinball, trivia, and more. Parties are back! Follow Mom’s on Instagram for more updates.

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Launching a new restaurant in the middle of a pandemic was not on the 2020 bingo card for Mom’s Basement. But for the owners of the Avondale bar – Payne Baker ’04, Rae Forrest Baker ’04, Wes Frazer ’02, and Patrick Nelson – the idea helped them support their employees throughout COVID-19 restrictions.

“Initially, we had to close for the state order,” says Rae Baker. “Then, we started offering curbside service and had the opportunity to play around with serving pizza to-go, trying to make sure everybody could continue to make a living.”

Pizza was something they’d had in the works – Mom’s was planning to open a pizza spot in a restaurant space across the street later in spring 2020. The pandemic gave them the opportunity to launch the pizza-making business early while the bar was closed.

Now that they’ve reopened, Mom’s has put the restaurant on hold (for a return in the near future) to create a safe and fun environment for the bar. Their new outdoor patio and live music events with Cahaba Brewing Co. have helped them get back to what they love most about Mom’s – throwing parties.

“My vision for it was my favorite bar to hang out it,” Frazer says. “Our walls are all wood panel, and our furniture came from thrift stores, estate sales, and family members, like you’re really in your parents’ basement.”

Like the coolest basements on the block, the dive bar also has arcade games and pool tables. The walls are covered with framed photos of customers’ own moms.

“We all have our own full-time jobs and came together to make this work,” Rae Baker says. “Now, we’re working through what opening back up looks like.”

This story was published in the Fall/Winter 2020 issue of ’Southern, BSC’s alumni magazine.

If you have ideas for our next issue of ’Southern, please email [email protected]. We always welcome stories about outstanding people from the BSC community.