Mo's Restaurants facts for kids
Mo's Restaurants is a well-known group of seafood restaurants found along the beautiful Oregon Coast in the United States. The main office for Mo's is in Newport, Oregon. These restaurants are named after their founder, Mohava "Mo" Niemi. People often called her "Mo," and she was a very famous person in Newport.
Mo's restaurants are famous for their delicious seafood. They are especially known for their creamy New England style clam chowder. They also serve fresh Yaquina Bay oysters, which are grown right there. People love Mo's for its relaxed and friendly feeling.
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The Story of Mo's Restaurants
How Mo's Began
The very first Mo's restaurant opened in 1946 in Newport, right on the bay front. It was first called "Freddie & Mo's." This restaurant was open 24 hours a day. It served food like spaghetti and steaks to local loggers and fishermen. A few years later, Mo's business partner, Freddie Kent, became sick. Mo Niemi then bought Freddie's part of the restaurant.
Over time, Mo's started to serve more and more seafood. The recipe for their famous clam chowder got better and better. The cooks would even try to outdo each other to make the best version!
Mo's Becomes Famous
Soon, Mo's became a favorite place for everyone. Not just local people, but also tourists and even famous celebrities loved to eat there. Mo's second husband, Kaino "Dutch" Niemi, was a retired fisherman. He and his friends often sat at a special table, which added to the restaurant's friendly, family-like feeling.
Mo's great-granddaughter, Gabrielle McEntee-Wilson, remembers "Granny Mo" saying something interesting. She said that during the 1960s, "The hippies discovered Mo's." This shows how popular the restaurant became. McEntee-Wilson explained that Mo's "wasn't a concept—it grew on its own."
Many famous people visited Mo's. Actors like Henry Fonda and Paul Newman ate there. They were filming a movie called Sometimes a Great Notion. This movie was about a family of loggers on the Oregon coast. Mo Niemi even appeared in one scene of the movie as an extra! This scene was filmed in Newport's Bayhaven Inn, which Mo and her father used to own.
Important politicians also ate at Mo's. Oregon Governor Tom McCall and Senator Mark Hatfield were among them. In 1973, Governor McCall's wife, Audrey McCall, arranged for the wives of other governors to have lunch at Mo's.
Even Senator Robert F. Kennedy and his wife Ethel visited Mo's. They stopped by in 1968 when he was campaigning for president.
The Garage Door Story
The original Mo's in Newport has a very unusual front wall. One day, a customer accidentally drove her car through the front wall! Mo Niemi thought it was funny. She comforted the upset woman. Mo told her, "We'll just put in a garage door." She said the woman could "drive in anytime if that's what you want to do."
Now, on warm, sunny days, this special door is opened. This turns Mo's into a fun sidewalk cafe. The door looks much the same as it did when it was first put in. It even has a picture inside showing a woman driving her car through the door!
How Mo's Grew
New Locations and the Chowder Factory
Over the years, Mo Niemi opened more Mo's restaurants. One was right across the street from the original in Newport. It was called Mo's Annex. Another was Mo's West, located in Otter Rock. The first Mo's restaurant was also made bigger several times.
Today, the original Mo's building also has a clam chowder factory. This factory makes the base for all the restaurants' chowder. It also sells chowder online and in grocery stores in 14 different states! Each year, the factory makes over 500,000 pounds of fresh chowder. They process a ton of bacon every week and a ton of potatoes every day!
The first restaurants in Newport and Otter Rock are still owned by Mo's family. They operate as Mo's Enterprises. In 1970, Mo partnered with another business owner, Tom Becker. They bought an oyster farm together. This company later became known as Newport Pacific Corporation. This company now owns and runs other Mo's restaurants. You can find them in places like Astoria, Seaside, Florence, Lincoln City, Cannon Beach, and even at the Portland International Airport.
Mo Niemi passed away in 1992. Several of her family members are still on the board of directors for Newport Pacific.
Mo's Gets Noticed
Awards and Honors
Mo's clam chowder has received special recognition. In 1999, it was served at a lunch at the Smithsonian Institution. This event honored "Best American Regional Foods."
In 2001, Cindy McEntee, who owns Mo's Enterprises, won a big award. She was named the Small Business Administration's Small Businessperson of the Year for Oregon. She was also one of the top four nominees for the National Business Person of the Year award. She was praised for continuing Mo's tradition of great food. She also showed great kindness to her employees, customers, and the community.
Rogue Ales Partnership
Rogue Ales is a craft brewery in Oregon. It is also located in Newport. Rogue Ales uses a picture of Mo Niemi on one of their beer labels. It was originally called Mo Ale. On each bottle, they include a special message. It says the beer is "Brewed in honor of Mo & Dutch Niemi." It also says their spirit "shapes the vibrant daily life of the Newport waterfront." Mo Niemi was very important in bringing Rogue Ales to Newport.
