Editor’s Note: Anderson SC Living is partnering with Rettew Creative to expand the audience for Storefront Stories as area businesses continue to rebuild from COVID-19. Bobby Rettew and digital media students from Anderson University’s Communications program recorded the first Storefront Story on April 22, 2021 and have since captured the experiences of almost 30 downtown businesses. Look for a Storefront Story every Wednesday here at Anderson SC Living.
Mama Penn’s has served the Anderson community for more than 50 years with its “Real Southern Cooking.”
The restaurant was forced to close in-house dining for about eight weeks during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, relying strictly on to-go orders to remain open. During that time, the locally owned restaurant laid off 60 of its 72 employees, according to Sunny Davis, who owns Mama Penn’s along with her husband, Jimmy.
“We did get to open up after about eight weeks, and did retain all of our employees except for one,” Davis said. “Business slowly picked back up and it’s now above what it was before COVID.”
Mama Penn’s sold #AndersonStrong shirts during the pandemic, splitting the money raised from t-shirt sales and donations between three single mothers employed at Mama Penn’s at the time.
Want to visit?
Mama Penn’s, 2802 N. Main Street, Anderson SC 29621, (864) 226-1545, mamapenns.com.
Storefront Stories video provided by Rettew Creative with special thanks to the Anderson University Production Team:
Kayleigh Jamison, Interviewer/Camera Operator
Rylee Brtek, Producer
Aaron Bennett, Editor/Camera Operator
Spencer Snow, Second Camera Operator/B-roll
