Mama Russo’s is under new ownership, Focus Restaurant Concepts. From left are Chris Conklin, Focus, managing owner; Gavin Rourke, Focus director of operations; Nathan Mileski, Focus COO and certified executive chef; and Cindy Baker, Focus general manager. (Photo courtesy of the Yoop Coop)

By Journal Staff

MARQUETTE –To continue serving the Upper Peninsula with “fresh and authentic food options,” Focus Restaurant Concepts announced the addition of Mama Russo’s to its family.

Mama Russo’s, based in Ishpeming, creates a variety of homemade Italian products and is involved in catering, according to its website.

Focus operates Border Grill, consisting of four locations in Marquette, Negaunee, Houghton and Munising as well as Yoop Coop in Marquette.

John Korhonen, the owner of Mama Russo’s expressed gratitude to the community.

“It’s been a privilege and honor to serve the entire Upper Peninsula for so many years,” he said in a news release. “So many great memories Jean and I will take with us. We are so excited to have the Border Grill team, with a superior history of quality and service taking on the responsibility of Mama Russo’s. Their knowledge and experience will not only carry on our rich tradition but will also grow it in the future.”

Chris Conklin, managing owner of Focus Restaurants Concepts, said, “We are honored to have the opportunity to continue the tradition of service and quality that John and Jean Korhonen have created over the past several decades in the retail and catering business. We take the honor of carrying on the Russo family legacy very seriously.”

Conklin said that under the guidance of Nathan Mileski, COO and certified executive chef; Gavin Rourke, director of operations; and Mama Russo’s newly named General Manager Cindy Baker, Focus Concepts has established a team of culinary experts with extensive experience in restaurant, catering and retail space.

Mileski has over 33 years of experience operating restaurants, food and beverage management, event planning and menu development through fine dining, catering and fast, made-to-order experiences. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, he’s worked at Drummond Island Resort and Conference Center as food and beverage director/executive Chef and served as certified executive chef/director of events, catering and concessions operations at Northern Michigan University.

Mileski said, “We are very excited and humbled to continue to provide the U.P. with the Russo Family recipes that go back several generations. We are also very much looking forward to getting back into large-scale catering and events.”

Rourke began his culinary career over 20 years ago in Minneapolis, attending culinary school and working at an Italian family-owned restaurant chain managing its commissary hub for 10 locations.

Rourke moved to the U.P., working as production manager/chef for events and catering at NMU before joining Focus Concepts.

Baker has worked in the catering industry her entire career, owning and operating a bar, leading the catering staff at NMU and serving as the sales lead for Mama Russo’s.

Together, with their team, dispersed at locations throughout the U.P., Focus Concepts said it looks forward to the future, with plans for new offerings and new opportunities in retail.

Focus Restaurant Concepts was established in 2018 with the purchase of Border Grill, a U.P. original since 1997. Yoop Coop was added to the group in 2021.