LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — China Mama, a beloved staple in the Las Vegas Valley, has become more than just a restaurant for us — it's become a symbol of resilience, passion and a dream realized.
For Women's History Month, I sat down with owner Ivy Ma to share her on how she transformed a single restaurant into a growing empire.
A passion realized: Watch how China Mama became so successful
If Ma has her way, she would love to see the restaurant go nationwide. A native of the city of Harbin in Heilongjiang, China, Ma is now living the American Dream through turning her popular Chinese restaurant into six locations in less than 10 years.
So where did the passion for food begin?
Long, long ago.
"I grew up in the food and beverage background family, and I went to University in Oregon and later on I moved to Las Vegas. And in 2017 there was a great opportunity for me to take over the China Mama brand. So I did," Ma said.
"I didn't just renovate this place. I also changed the menu and then the restaurant concept to align my vision. We do have several different brands in China, and then we own chain restaurants in China as well."
Besides the food, there's something else that makes China Mama unique.
"For for open kitchen concept, I think it's a very unique feature that our customer could see how their food being prepared in here," Ma said. "And when they dine in here, when they see this, we want to highlight the cleanness and then people will have more confidence in safety when they dine in."
The open kitchen lets customers see how popular dishes such as crispy beef, crispy pork and handmade shrimp and cucumber dumplings are made. Fun fact, they make about 200 to 300 a day.
As successful as China Mama is, there have been some difficult times. You may remember back in 2023 when a fire broke out at the original location on Jones Boulevard.
It took about a year for the restaurant to reopen, but Ma says it was a lesson in grit and resilience.
"I think, in this experience, it taught me the value of leading challenge. It's a learning process and just don't be afraid of it because you might see some unexpected opportunities," Ma said.
Positivity is what Ma is all about, so what advice does she have for someone who wants to go into the restaurant industry?
"My suggestion will be you need to think clearly before you start your own business. And then be passion for that. When you start a business, don't be very easy to give up because there will be ups and downs. And if you could seek any help from, people who has more experience or maybe even find yourself a mentor, that's gonna be more valuable," Ma said.
And who is her mentor? She credits her father, who she says taught her everything she needed to succeed.
So what's next for China Mama?
"We are looking forward to expand. And then one of my goal is to make sure China Mama can be one of the best Chinese restaurant in the states. And later on, probably we are looking forward into franchising as well," Ma said.
And if you're wondering what her favorite dishes are, it's the crispy pork — and trust me, it's really good.
