Beyoncé's mother’s food stand in Texas was shuttered by the health department this week, according to reports.
Tina Knowles, the 72-year-old mother of the Texas Hold ‘Em singer, opened her Mama Tina’s Gumbo booth at this year’s Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The food stall sells Knowles’ famed gumbo, which she has often talked about in interviews.
According to an Instagram post shared by Knowles, Mama Tina’s Gumbo was scheduled to serve up food at the Texas event from March 2 until March 22.
However, a statement from the Houston Health Department, obtained by ABC 13, revealed that the business was closed on March 16.
open image in gallery"On Monday, March 16, 2026, the Houston Health Department issued a temporary closure of Mama Tina's Gumbo booth at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo as a result of a complaint investigation,” the statement read. “The vendor was cooperative with the department's recommendations and passed a subsequent inspection.”
According to the HHD statement, Mama Tina’s Gumbo was authorized to reopen on March 17.
In an interview with ABC 13, Knowles said that her stand offers two types of gumbo: a chicken-and-sausage variety and her “favorite” seafood flavor.
She added that the food is simmered for 16 to 18 hours to give it a strong flavour.
open image in gallery“I have two partners, two young partners and they had the most delicious gumbo. They brought it for my book tour,” she said. “And so, their recipe was delicious so I put all of my Louisiana touches and my family recipe little tricks in there and combined it and now it’s like a hybrid of both.”
Knowles told the TikToker @hey_vagney that Beyoncé has long been a fan of the dish.
“Beyoncé absolutely loves this gumbo,” Knowles said. “She would have it all the time, she's always asking.”
LeToya Luckett, who was a member of Destiny’s Child before the group became a worldwide phenomenon, also paid a visit to the food stand.
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In an Instagram video shared by Knowles, Luckett gave a thumbs-up to the camera while holding a pot of gumbo.
During a 2025 appearance on the House Guest podcast, she told host Scott Evans that she learned to make the meal by serving as her mother’s “sous chef” in the kitchen.
“You know I would meet a guy and I would make gumbo and he would say ‘Oh man, she can throw down, she can really cook,’” she said. “But it was the only thing I knew how to cook.”
The Independent has contacted the HHD for comment.
