A struggling restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen is in need of a Hail Mary, as a number of factors, including the threat of tariffs, rising cost of food and higher rent, take a bite out of their bottom line.
Tuesday, February 4, 2025 4:17AM
Sonia Rincon spoke to the owners of Mamma Mia on 44th Street and Ninth Avenue.
HELL’S KITCHEN, Manhattan (WABC) — A struggling restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen is in need of a Hail Mary, as a number of factors, including the threat of tariffs, the rising cost of food, higher rent and congestion pricing, have taken a bite out of their bottom line.
What goes into the specialties at Mamma Mia on 44th Street and Ninth Avenue isn’t just the fresh ingredients. It’s family history and pride.
“My parents were both chefs, so they both cooked,” said Mamma Mia restaurant owner Consiglia “Connie” Rogers. “We started with a small pizzeria, and then we expanded.”
Twins Connie and Cristina, and their brother Carlo Sciattarella, are continuing the legacy and American dream of their parents from Naples, but that’s getting so much harder to do with the rising costs of food since COVID.
“It started with inflation, and then crime,” Carlo Schiattarella said. “It just became death by a thousand cuts.”
If tariffs further drive up costs in the kitchen, it will only take a bigger bite out of their bottom line.
“Tomatoes, that’s the number one,” Rogers said. “Our meat. And with bird flu, there’s no eggs. We do need our eggs.”
Those are all costs they don’t want to pass on to their customers.
“And then you have to absorb it, and it erodes and erodes and erodes and then you can’t make it anymore,” Schiattarella said.
There are other factors too, like concerns about the long-term impact of congestion pricing on the neighborhood.
“Ninth Avenue is completely empty. There’s nobody walking around,” Rogers said.
What will save them is returning visitors. This is typically a slow time of year and last year was tough.
The family photos on the walls serve as constant reminders of their parents hard work, and their inspiration to persevere.
“You have to believe that the restaurant is going to survive,” Rogers said.
Another cost that’s only going up for city restaurants is rent.
For Mamma Mia, it’s significantly higher than it was before COVID, despite a temporary drop.
Rising costs for landlords are also passed along to businesses and customers, with some opting for empty storefronts if commercial tenants can’t meet their asking prices.
———-
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Copyright © 2025 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Top Stories
A struggling restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen is in need of a Hail Mary, as a number of factors, including the threat of tariffs, rising cost of food and higher rent, take a bite out of their bottom line.
Discover more from World Byte News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
