Mamma faces lawsuits by former chef and general manager
Owner’s Napa restaurant closes too. ALSO BREAKING: All local Rite Aids will shutter this summer, and a Davis salon makes a move
Two lawsuits this spring against Mamma and another suit three years ago against its sister restaurant in Napa may offer some perspective on the Father’s Day closure of the downtown Davis eatery.
The Italian restaurant with the best patio dining in Davis was at 226 F St. It’s listed on Google as permanently closed. Former employees confirm that it’s gone for good.
There are two 2025 suits against Mamma – one from a former chef for wage theft, and another from a former general manager for breach of contract. And there was a 2022 wage-theft suit brought by a former employee of NapaSport, a Napa steakhouse and sports bar under the same ownership. NapaSport, at 145 Gasser Drive, Suite A in Napa, has signs saying that it’s closed for the week. However, a staff member at a neighboring business said they’ve pretty sure it’s closed for good. It’s listed on Google as permanently closed.
I spoke with Adam Hinojosa who was a chef at Mamma for six months in 2024. He sued Mamma Davis LLC for wrongful termination, failure to pay overtime, breach of oral contract and six other complaints, in a case filed March 28 in Yolo County Superior Court.
The second local suit was filed April 5 in Yolo Superior Court by the former general manager, Kris Pytel-Souza of Davis, claiming a breach of contract. With the courts closed for the holiday, I was unable to get a copy of that suit. I spoke with Pytel-Souza but she declined to comment on the record.
I do not have record of the outcome of the NapaSport lawsuit, filed on behalf of former employee Ryan Newberry.
I reached out to owner Michael Galyen, asking if he would like to respond to any of the claims. He read the message but did not reply. As I reported on Monday, when I asked about the closure, he said, “nothing is decided yet. I will let you know when it is.”
Read on for details, and the closure dates for the Rite Aid stores and pharmacies.