Why Was Tina Knowles's Gumbo Booth Shut Down? The Entrepreneur Is Back in Business

There are multiple reasons why Beyoncé is successful. Aside from her undeniable talent and passion for music, the 44-year-old understands how to navigate the business world. One may say she's learned business finesse as she’s grown throughout her career, but others who’ve followed her since Girls Tyme know that her parents, Matthew and Tina Knowles, play a role in her success.

Fans know that Mama Tina and Beyoncé have a close relationship that has transcended into business ventures, from House of Deréon to CÉCRED. The Knowles matriarch has recently decided to venture out on her own with Mama Tina’s Gumbo, a booth that sells the Cajun and Creole dish. And while the idea seemed great in theory, Ms. Tina has had a few bumps in the road, including a temporary closing. So, why was Tina Knowles’s gumbo pop-up shut down? Here’s what we know.

According to KTRK, the Houston Health Department said Mama Tina’s Gumbo was shut down after a complaint. The shut down occurred on Monday, March 16, 2026. However, the shutdown notice was immediately lifted.

“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, officials shared in a statement. “The vendor was cooperative with the department's recommendations and passed a subsequent inspection. It was authorized to reopen on Tuesday, March 17, 2026."

Ms. Tina, who has been promoting the gumbo pop-up on social media, has not made any comments about the shutdown.

Apparently, TikTok creator Erica Allyse claims that she got sick with food poisoning after eating Mama Tina’s Gumbo.

In a video posted on March 16, 2026, the creator shared a video of herself and friends at the Houston Rodeo, seemingly having a good time. However, the on-screen text shared quite the opposite.

“POV, you tried Mama Tina’s Gumbo and that's all you ate and you ended up with food poisoning before going home,” the on-screen text reads.

In the caption, Erica explained that she was excited to try out the gumbo since she’s a fan of Beyoncé, and her mom said that she and Mama Tina are related on her father’s side. However, after paying $27 plus tax and eating the gumbo, things went left.

“It was watery and soupy,” the caption reads. “It did not taste like gumbo. I ate the meat out of it because I had already spent my money. I ended up throwing up in the car and had to pull over, and threw up blood. 0/10 I would never recommend.”

She concluded the caption by stating that she will be contacting the Houston Health Department “as well as reporting it to the Houston livestock and rodeo webpage.”

In a video posted March 18, 2026, Erica updated followers by saying it’s been four days since she’s been sick, and she knows it’s due to eating the gumbo. She also showed a message she received from a representative from the Houston Health Department, giving her an update on actions taken.

Although the official statement from the department didn’t include the cause for the temporary closure, Erica’s text from the representative states that the shop was closed “due to inaccuracy between their permit application and the actual food preparation.”

“We also discarded all the gumbo on-site for the same reason, as well as the food being stored inside unapproved containers, and we could not verify proper cooling methods for pre-cooked batches of gumbo,” the text reads.

In Erica’s caption, she said that she’s heading to the hospital for further evaluation.

“I am about to go to the hospital and get a stool sample to see exactly what pathogen it was that made me sick, which is what the inspector told me to do, the caption reads. “He also stated that things that were supposed to be frozen were not. They prepared it in an unlicensed place, transferred it to another unlicensed place, then transferred it to the rodeo."

She also shared in the caption that the shop’s claim that it transfers food directly to the rodeo from a nearby licensed restaurant was false.

Unfortunately, many folks questioned Erica’s account, saying she made a big deal of it because Ms. Tina ran the pop-up. Other folks believe that she simply wanted some clout from the situation.

However, many people shared that her claims do seem valid, especially since leaving a dish out in the heat, like gumbo that is made with shellfish and other meats, can spoil quickly.

Either way, Mama Tina’s Gumbo has received the green light to resume business at the rodeo. And judging by the opinions online, folks are ready to try out her gumbo for themselves.