Restaurant owner looks to open 8 Capriotti’s locations

Matthew Matt grew up in Philadelphia and is a computer programmer. In 2001, after he became unemployed, his brother-in-law Kimo Sihapanya recruited him to Northwest Arkansas to partner in opening Taste of Thai II in Bentonville.

The Sihapanya family also owns Taste of Thai in downtown Fayetteville.

Matt moved to Northwest Arkansas in 2002 and ran Taste of Thai II until a fire closed it in 2017, and the landlord chose not to rebuild. While the Sihapanya family continued to expand Thai restaurants across the region, Matt wanted something different. Now the franchise owner of Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop in Bentonville, Matt’s love for Philly cheesesteak sandwiches and American food made him the perfect owner of his latest local restaurant venture.

“Because of my love for sandwiches, I met with several sandwich shop brands looking for a franchise opportunity,” Matt said. “I met with Jon Smith Subs, Jersey Mike’s and Great Steak Escape but found they were more do-it-by-yourself models than I was looking for. I met with Capriotti’s corporate team in Las Vegas and found they offered a great deal of support and training to ensure the quality is consistent across the chain.”

Matt signed on with Capriotti’s in 2021 and opened his eatery at 1406 S. Walton Blvd., Suite 2, in Bentonville, near the Walmart home office. Matt said opening during the pandemic had its challenges, but the business continues to grow sales in its third year of operations.

He said it can take a couple of years to choose the perfect site and get approval for the franchise. Much of the country was amid a major shutdown when he was trying to open the restaurant. But he loved the brand and wanted to make it work in Northwest Arkansas. Matt said Capriotti’s also works with several different lenders that help with business financing.

“I was fortunate to know enough people who had restaurant experience to help me get the shop staffed,” Matt said. “Capriotti’s has a great training program to get staff in tune with company goals, quality expectations and customer service standards.”

Another reason he liked Capriotti’s brand was the focus on community engagement.

“Early on, my wife [Phetsamone] would come in with her running groups, and they would share their experience with other runners and friends. And the business did OK because of the word-of-mouth recommendations,” Matt said.

Because of his connection to running, Matt wanted to sponsor participants for the Bentonville Run event. He sought to help people who might not otherwise be able to participate and challenged others to set goals, train and focus on accomplishing something new. Matt reached out to the members of the Benton County Drug Court program who wanted to train and run the half-marathon. He sponsored them for the event and encouraged them to join running groups for training. He said training and the focus on the run were helpful to those who were trying to graduate from the program.

“We sponsored several of these runners over the years, and they invited me to their graduation ceremony, which meant a lot to us,” Matt said. “The Bentonville mayor was also at the graduation and heard from the graduates about the running and sponsorship. The next week, Mayor Stephanie Orman called me and gave me a Bentonville Spirit Award for our work with Drug Court participants and the city’s big annual running event.”

Matt plans to use franchise partnerships to open eight Capriotti’s Sandwich Shops in Northwest Arkansas in the next several years. Each shop will support between two and three full-time and about eight part-time jobs. The first will be two new Capriotti’s eateries in Washington Country, with locations in Springdale and Tontitown expected to open by the end of this year. Matt is a partner in these ventures.

He said being part of a franchise like Capriotti’s has had its advantages in dealing with food price inflation. He said bulk buying has helped keep menu prices lower than other competitors. He said the corporate office makes pricing recommendations, but the operator has the final say on local menu prices.

Matt was named Franchise Partner of the Year in May at Capriotti’s regional meetings. He was cited for his dedication to excellence, leadership, innovation and visionary approach to teamwork that drives success for his franchise and the entire network. Matt was one of six franchise operators among more than 175 U.S. stores to receive an award.