Co-Founder Justin Matt Sapolsky Blogs for Wharton EntrepeneurshipBy Justin Matt Sapolsky W’08/WG’12, co-founder of Matt & Marie’s Modern Italian Sandwiches
It was an easy decision for Matt & Marie’s to open in Philadelphia. “Philadelphia” was even part of our logo long before we found our first location at 100 North 18th Street. And judging by the many familiar faces who have stopped by in our first few weeks, it seems that more and more student entrepreneurs are choosing to stay in Philadelphia after graduation. Most importantly for Matt & Marie’s, the food scene in Philadelphia is phenomenal. The people are adventurous when it comes to trying new things, and very supportive of new concepts. There is a great community of bloggers and writers who cover food trends and restaurants closely, which helped us get the word out. And for our Italian specialty concept, there isn’t a better place in the country to get access to top quality Italian foods and imports. Beyond the food, you just need to look up in any direction to see that Philadelphia is growing. We are fortunate to be across the street from the construction of the new Comcast building. And large scale development is happening in many other neighborhoods, giving great opportunities to expand within the city. The rising tide raises all ships, and as Philadelphia continues to grow it will create great opportunities for all companies here. Philadelphia has also left its impression on us as a community that supports entrepreneurship. We have been involved in many startup weekends, conferences, meetups and the like over the past few years. There is a large and growing community of entrepreneurs who go out of their way to help one another. A group of 15 local entrepreneurs camped out at one of our tables on the 3rd day we were open! And we see local startups in the store every day. Read the entire article here.
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Article by Michael Hinkelman of the Philly Daily News
NICOLE MARIE CAPP, 26, and Justin Matt Sapolsky, 28, both of Center City, are co-founders of Matt & Marie's Italian Sandwiches on 18th Street near Arch. The two are Wharton MBA graduates and were finalists in the 2013-14 Wharton Business Plan Competition. In 2013, Matt & Marie's began as a catering business but this year shifted to a brick-and-mortar store that opened on June 30. I spoke with Capp. Q: How'd you come up with the idea for Matt & Marie's? A: Matt and I both wanted to open up a place in the fast-casual space with Italian sandwiches. We started brainstorming in 2012 and worked with a chef at New York Vintners to flesh out recipes and come up with modern, fresh takes on toppings and sandwich components. Q: Startup money? A: We bootstrapped it with our own resources. Q: What makes Matt & Marie's sandwiches different? A: We have seven signature sandwiches, all modern Italian and each costs $8.50. If you look at our salamis and cheeses, they're made by artisans in very small batches each year. Our sharp provolone is from Claudio's. We make our own pickled fresh toppings. At most Italian delis there are many salamis, cheeses and multiple combinations. We have seven with a perfect balance of the five flavor profiles: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. Q: Who are your customers? What's the profile? A: Mostly working professionals in the area. All ages. We've also had families, moms bringing in their kids. We've had workers who are working on the new Comcast tower. Q: How big a biz? A: We have seven full-time employees, not including Matt and myself. Matt and I share management duties. Read the entire article here: ow.ly/zj9ef Matt & Marie's opened it's doors about a week ago. Thank you so much for visiting us during our Grand Opening. It is so much fun seeing everyone in the store. Click here for a clip of our Italian Sandwiches on Fox Philly last week! Enjoy.
A group of Philly startups had some of our sandwiches last week. Thanks for stopping by. See you all for lunch soon!
Great food pics from Zagat! See you all for the Grand Opening Monday!
http://www.zagat.com/b/philadelphia/matt-maries-sandwich-heaven-opening-on-logan-square#10 |