Mama's Fish House, Maui's famous waterfront restaurant that usually books out months in advance, is taking walk-ins after the wildfires and exodus of tourists

• Tourism has plummeted on Maui after fires in August destroyed much of Lahaina.
• But locals say the rest of the island is still open and that businesses are struggling.

The mass exodus of tourists is being felt all over Maui, Hawaii — even at one of the island's most popular restaurants.

Mama's Fish House, a family-owned restaurant serving fresh fish since 1973, is located in Paia, on the north side of Maui. It's about 30 miles from Lahaina, where a wildfire tore through the historic downtown on August 8, killing more than 100 people. Nearly 400 people are still missing, Maui officials said on Thursday.

Getting a table at world-renowned Mama's — let alone one situated oceanside overlooking the coconut grove by the restaurant — typically requires booking months in advance. Christine Hitt, an editor at SFGATE who is also part Native Hawaiian, said earlier this year she's never managed to snag a reservation, adding that seats can be booked up to six months in advance.

"I usually say, 'Book your flight, book your hotel, then book your Mama's,'" Karen Christenson, owner of Mama's and daughter of its founders, told the outlet.

But after the fires, the number of tourists visiting Maui in August was half that of the same month last year, the Hawaii Tourism Authority told HawaiiNewsNow, and Mama's is also feeling it. One patron was able to call the restaurant on a Wednesday to book an oceanside table for that Friday, according to Maui Now.

"We felt the business drop right away," Christenson, who now leads the restaurant after her father died in November, told Insider.

Christenson said her restaurant was "booked solid" for a while before the fires. But in the immediate aftermath of the devastating event, the restaurant lost half of its reservations.

The business is never completely empty, she said, but at lunch now, Mama's Fish House might have only one row of people seated by the windows.

As a result, some staff had to be moved to part-time schedules, Christenson said.

The restaurant, known for working closely with local fishermen whose names are included on the menu alongside their catch, has even had to turn some fresh fish away.

"The other day, for the first time, I had to turn down a fisherman with a fresh catch," Christenson told Maui Now. "It was heartbreaking for me."

The downturn in tourism and the impact on the economy was reflected in the island's recent unemployment claims. For the week ending on August 19, 4,449 new claims were filed, according to Hawaii's Department of Business Economic Development & Tourism, up from 130 the week before the fires.

"Even if you don't live in Lahaina, everyone was impacted," Christenson told Insider.

Locals and business owners are urging tourists to come back — as long as they remain respectful and stay away from West Maui, where the bulk of the fire damage was done.

In addition to getting a table at Mama's, tourists are likely to find discounted flight prices and the chance to see the pristine beauty of Maui without the usual crowds.

Traveling to Maui right now will also help people in Lahaina who lost everything, according to Javier Cantellops, another small-business owner on the island.

"I can't help a single individual on this island if I'm having to furlough employees and put people on unemployment," Cantellops, who owns several dive shops, previously told Insider.

Hawaii officials have also emphasized traveling to Maui right now will help the island, with Sen. Brian Schatz writing in a post on X that resorts in South Maui "NEED visitors."

Although her business was impacted, Christenson told Insider she's optimistic that things will soon return to normal.

In the past few days, she and her staff have noticed an uptick in business and that more locals are coming into her restaurant. She's still taking walk-ins for lunch, but she recommends people call or book online ahead of time for dinner.

Before the fires, she estimated that patrons at Mama's Fish House would be 75% tourists. Now, most of the customers are residents.

"I don't know if more of our local residents are taking advantage of the situation," she laughed.

Christenson recommended that tourists become familiar with what areas have been impacted by the fires, be respectful during their visit, and, if they're inclined, volunteer at a local organization. Overall, she welcomes tourists with open arms.

"Just by coming you're helping us," she said.

Have a news tip? Contact this reporter at kvlamis@insider.com.