Valentina Hudacko arrives at Mom’s OG Bar and Grill at 7 a.m. every day, but the party lasts well into the night. The 23-year-old server, manager and bartender works the earliest shift, setting up the bar, turning all TVs on and preparing the crew for the day. When she opens the doors at 7:30 a.m., they don’t close again until 2 a.m.
The Gainesville-original restaurant, which was originally named Mothers, has housed drunk sports fans and casual customers alike for 18 years. The must-try spot changed hands in 2022 and gained a new name and new ownership.
The bar prides itself on its community and cheap prices, designed to remind college students one thing: This is their town, if only for four years.
Valentina Hudacko said this reminder has been a huge success. On the night of the Gators’ national championship win, she said the place was packed. There was nowhere to walk or even stand, and she stood at the bar, wordlessly making drinks for hours. Hudacko said she’s seen a lot of those same faces since, bringing truth to their “home away from home” mission.
Mom’s creates a home for more than just its regulars. The staff are very close, and all of Hudakcko’s friends are those she’s made during her five years at the company, she said.
“I personally don’t have any friends outside this place,” Hudacko said.
Hudacko made more than just friends while working at Mom’s; she made a love connection. Valentina Hudacko is now married to one of the restaurant’s owners, Cory Hudacko. The pair met while working at Mom’s in 2020 and supported each other during Cory’s acquisition of the company. Since then, they married and had a son, to which Cory said Valentina is an awesome mother.
“I don’t think I would have had the courage to take the chance on Moms without her encouragement,” he said. “She’s my rock.”
Valentina’s story of popularity with the regulars extends to Cory as well. The couple said they believe in building long-lasting relationships with their staff and regulars. Cory even said he personally knows 90% of the people at the bar at any given time.
Regulars are so close to the staff they sometimes join the team, which is Oliver Sebastian Berling’s exact story. The line cook, who uses they/them pronouns, spent so much time in the establishment they started asking for a job, and after wearing down one of the owners, Robert Latner, he obliged.
Now, Berling has served as a line cook for almost a year and will soon have to move back to their hometown. Berling is devastated at the loss of the family they’ve built here, they said, and the regulars are like family to them.
Like Valentina, Berling met their love match at Mom’s while he worked as the proprietor of the weekly Tuesday trivia night. The restaurant hosts a trivia night every Tuesday to encourage business, and as a result, it often has to open its extra room to accommodate the rush.
By playing games, drinking beer and keeping a relaxed staff, the bar and grill maintains its laid-back, fun atmosphere. Each member of staff has their own attitude, but Berling said marijuana is the secret to staying calm in the kitchen.
“I think that you make better tasting food when you're a little bit stoned,” they said.
Contact Rachel Mish at rmisch@alligator.org. Follow her on X @mish_rache62827.
Rachel Mish is a junior English and business major and the Fall 2024 Food Reporter for The Avenue. In her free time, she enjoys playing pick-up basketball or sewing a gameday outfit.
