A classroom assignment at »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥ sparked a successful business venture for former Golden Flashes football star Will Matthews.
Matthews, who helped »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥ win its first bowl game in 2019, turned his entrepreneurial studies project into reality with the Southern Comfort Kitchen food truck in 2019.
The business has since expanded to include a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Akron's Highland Square, which opened in 2022.
»ÆÉ«Ö±²¥ Today first featured Matthews in 2018 while he was still a student, showcasing his early entrepreneurial ambitions.
Drawing on his New Orleans roots and family culinary traditions, Matthews serves up Cajun-inspired dishes like po'boys, jambalaya, and crawfish mac and cheese.
"I grew up around food all of my life," Matthews , crediting his parents and grandfather, a chef, for his passion.
The food truck, which operates two to three times weekly around Akron, offers a condensed menu featuring seafood favorites. Prices range from $12 for a SoCo burger to $15 for a grilled shrimp po'boy.
Matthews acknowledges that managing a busy food service business can be more challenging than avoiding tackles on the football field.
"When you do a busy event − it's for better or for worse," he said. "It gets really, really intense."