A legendary Pioneer Valley restaurant is shutting down for good, though a kiosk that is affiliated with the place will remain open.
According to a source, Chef Wayne's Big Mamou in Springfield is closing permanently on July 1, with a Facebook post from owner Wayne Hooker saying that he is planning to retire from the Liberty Street eatery, though an affiliated takeout and delivery spot on Worthington Street called Chef Wayne's Big Mamou Cajun on the Go will continue to run. (In the Facebook post, Hooker says "it will become my new job.") A Mass Live article mentions that the COVID-19 pandemic played a big role in Hooker's decision to close, as he says that "I can't survive on a partial dining room. And even if it opens up at full capacity, you're still going to have those people who have the corona anxieties and don't want to be in crowds." Chef Wayne's Big Mamou offered takeout during the restaurant shutdown that began in March, and the dining spot will continue to do so until it closes next week.
Chef Wayne's Big Mamou first opened in the mid-1990s, with the restaurant offering a variety of Cajun and Creole dishes including crawfish quesadillas, po'boys, spinach and chicken cakes, fried oysters, jambalaya, chicken etoufee, meatloaf, and blackened catfish.
The address for Chef Wayne's Big Mamou is 63 Liberty Street, Springfield, MA, 01103.
by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)
[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]
