Matt had gained the skills necessary to design, equip, staff, and operate a single restaurant, even a chain of them.  He had ideas he had never been permitted to test while employed in the corporate environments, which had taught him what traditionally worked, what didn't work, and what corporations are typically unwilling to risk trying; therein lay a challenge that had long gnawed at his ambitious nature. 

He knew that much of the unproductive efforts and motions wasted by staffs in most restaurants could easily be eliminated.  By implementing a few new innovations, those wasted energies could be converted to positive ones so that noticeably-improved customer service could be achieved. 

In early August, 2002, he decided to give his ideas a try.

       ~ it had not been designed as an eatery, but was a built-onto one-time residential dwelling which had earlier been converted to a seafood buffet operation open three days a week. 

       ~ it was "out in the country" and was exposed to only nominal drive-by traffic; customers would have to be

attracted from considerable distances. 

       ~ it had no municipal water or sewer system; well water would have to be filtered and they'd have to pray the septic tank system could handle increased usage without backing up, overflowing or collapsing; every day was a breath-holding experience in that regard. 

       ~ there was no fire hydrant, the nearest fire department was miles away and only had volunteer crews on call; accordingly, outrageously steep fire and hazard insurance premiums, insidious to be sure, would nearly equal....over a four-year period....the entire total value of the equipment needed to open for business. 

But it offered an opportunity to test Matt's theories with a reasonably modest cash investment because the existing furniture and equipment could be leased.  Some additions would be necessary, but the basics were already there.

So he leased the property and the existing equipment for six months, with pre-guaranteed options in one-year increments up to ten years.  That would give him an opportunity to test his ideas and decide what to do next.  He bought the additional equipment he needed, some used and some new.  Matt's Catfish and Such opened with a bang on November 15, 2002.

Between 4:30 PM and 9:30 PM opening night, the restaurant fed 314 customers.  The buffet had never attracted even 150 on any one night.  141 was the highest single-night figure the previous restaurateur bragged about several times.  He was astounded at what happened on Matt's opening night (so was Matt).

After five and a half months of "blowing the doors off the place" every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, an opportunity presented itself for Matt to lease a place facing U.S. Highway 82 just inside the eastern city limits of Tifton.  Though he would have to convert the building from a storage facility to a restaurant, he jumped at the chance because of the constant exposure to heavy traffic and the urban location.

There is an old Texas adage "Don't call him cowboy till you've seen him ride."  Well, South Georgia had seen MATT'S Catfish and Such "ride," and they seemed to like what they saw (and tasted). 

The operation at Five Bridges, though brief, had handily overcome all the disadvantages inherent in its location, and had attracted repeat customers from as far away as Albany, Valdosta, Moultrie, Adel, Waycross, and Cordele, and all points in between.  The "experiment" had been a roaring success.…for more than five months.…a fact recognized by employees, customers, investors, and bankers. 

Friends, relatives, and customers who had become friends, combined to help with the conversion and decorating.  The antique look wouldn't fit the brand new interior the new restaurant would have.            

On July 9, 2003, the restaurant on Highway 82, just inside the eastern city limits of Tifton, opened.

With a 134 total seating capacity, 310 patrons were served that first Thursday evening.  At lunch Friday, 172 patrons sampled the new lunch fare and many returned bringing their families that same evening.  


 
From 4:45 to 9:15 P.M. that first Friday evening, 524 customers were served.  No, that is not a misprint; 524 is correct.  The staff had expected 400 and everything had been prepared to accommodate 500, just in case.  There was a half-pound of shrimp left in the house at closing time, and the last four catfish customers were understanding and settled for snapper and flounder when the staple menu item finally gave out.
 
All employees were grateful that lunch was not served on Saturdays, as that gave them breathing room to prepare for the 440 who dined at MATT'S Saturday night, July 12th.
 
In the first three weeks of operation on Highway 82, dining at MATT'S was experienced by more than 500 each Friday, more than 400 each Saturday, and by an average of 250 daily Tuesdays through Thursdays.

After nearly two years at the Highway 82 location, Matt encountered an almost accidental opportunity to acquire the current location on Manchester Expressway in Columbus.

Relocating his operation here was a move he welcomed, because Columbus is his birthplace and hometown. He considers himself privileged to be able to feed the city in which he was born and grew up.

He gives fair warning though: “You can’t eat here just once.”

Copyright January 2007
Matt Marshall
All Rights Reserved
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PHOTOS:

A.  Original Location 

Ferry Lake Road at the Five Bridges, between Tifton, Georgia, and Ocilla, Georgia.