Jared Matthis_Sum19_Ed-final.qxp_Road Trip_Cinci.qxd 5/30/19 6:36 AM Page 28
profile | jared matthews
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verywhere he’s worked, Jared Matthews has risen into management by caring about the work he does and people he’s
served. Now he’s showing that same care as St. Matthews’ rising star restaurateur. Chances are you met him slinging drinks or you’ve asked him to book your band. Perhaps you met him at Southeast Christian Church or in his most recent role: owner of multiple restaurants. Maybe you haven’t met him at all, but it sure seems like most people, especially in St. Matthews, have. Jared Fox Matthews, father, restaurateur, and friend, seems to be an unstoppable force in the Louisville restaurant scene who is now a partner/owner in the two locations of Diamond Pub & Billiards plus their new Diamond Street Grub & Hops opening this month, Lou Lou Food + Drink, and the legendary Equus & Jack’s Lounge founded by the late Dean Corbett.
Just over ten years ago, he was single and became a managing partner at Diamond Pub. Now, he balances his time between these four restaurants under his care and his wife Rebecca and their four children: Ian (14), Tristan (12), Lexy (3), and Jared Fox Matthews, Jr. (nine months). While the last decade has certainly been good to him, it is a life-long culmination. His love for food began further south in his hometown, Marksville, Louisiana. That’s where his foodloving East Coast parents were transferred. “My dad fell in love with Cajun cooking and became responsible for crawdad boils for the neighborhood when we moved to Alabama and then Kentucky,” he said. “Our Christmas tradition includes boils, gumbo and etouffée on Christmas Eve.” Although his dad instilled a childhood love for food, Matthews started his career working at Dairy Queen before he ended up running a pizza place named Figaro’s in high school. “The owner didn’t really do much with it, so we just kind of ran it ourselves,” Matthews explained. When he went off to the University of Kentucky in Lexington, he got his first job in the bar industry as 28 Summer 2019 www.foodanddine.com
BY JESSICA MATHIS PHOTOS BY DAN DRY