SAN MARCOS — Mama Kat’s, the popular breakfast eatery and bakery on San Marcos Boulevard, has reopened in a significantly larger space two miles west of its original location.
Michael Herrera, who owns and operates Mama Kat’s with his wife, Kristen, purchased Grandpa Allen’s Family Restaurant in 2005 and adopted the current name in honor of his mother in 2008. The family expanded the restaurant in subsequent years as adjoining units in the building became vacant, increasing its capacity but not the size of its small parking lot.
The new location, at 288 Rancheros Drive, most recently housed the former My Yard Live brewpub, which closed in November 2024. Before that, the site sat vacant for several years after its original occupant, Hometown Buffet, closed in 2016 following an 18-year run.
Signs at the new location Monday said Mama Kat’s plans to extend its hours and is developing a new lunch menu.
At 9:45 a.m. Monday, the parking lot was full, with arriving customers waiting for spaces to open, while the waiting areas were packed with diners hoping to get a table.
