After nearly five years behind the line at Mathew’s Kitchen, chef-owner Mathew Unger will hang up his apron and switch off the burners after a final service on Sunday, June 26 as his building lease comes to an end.
“We had a five-year contract,” Unger said. “We couldn’t negotiate another lease or find another building.”
Unger will remain in the food business as the director of food service for Midwest Petroleum, a St. Louis-based chain of gas stations and convenience stores. Not only will the move put together his chef experience and his college business degree, but it will also allow Unger to spend more time with his family and to recover from injuries sustained in a car accident last year.
“I have a young family, two little kids,” he said. “I’ll get to see them more and be more involved. Also, not standing for 12 to 14 hours a day will help with my health.”
Unger said Mathew’s Kitchen was invested in its Southampton neighborhood, helping to launch Francis Park’s annual Grub & Groove festival and winning a neighborhood business award from Mayor Slay’s office.
“It’s been a great five years,” said Unger. “Since announcing we are closing, the response from the neighborhood has been crazy. We will miss everybody.”
This article appears in Readers’ Choice 2016.