Cleveland punk rocker-turned-restaurateur Matt Fish has been named 2015 Ohio Small Business Person the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Fish will be honored at a ceremony at Cuyahoga Community College’s Advanced Technology Training Center Tue 5/5 by Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur and SBA district director Gil Goldberg. It will take place during a seminar for very small business owners, in which Fish will participate.
“The SBA recognizes Mr. Fish because of his entrepreneurial accomplishments, leadership and contributions to the community,” said Goldberg. “He has also created many good jobs that have enriched our state’s economy and he serves as an outstanding example for aspiring small business owners.”
Fish opened his first Melt Bar and Grilled, specializing in distinctive versions of the grilled cheese sandwich, in Lakewood in 2006. It was an instant success, packing people in, and soon expanded into an adjoining storefront. New locations followed in Cleveland Heights, Independence, Mentor and two in Columbus, plus quick-service locations at Case Western Reserve University and Progressive Field. The operation has grown from a dozen employees to more than 300.
The Melt locations became known not only for their outsized sandwiches, which lead to many doggie bags walking out the door, but also their pop/kitsch-culture décor, their striking advertising artwork created by local artists known for their rock & roll posters and unusual promotions such as an offer of 25 percent off for life for those who get a Melt tattoo.
Melt’s unique menu and its rock & roll attitude and ambience have earned it national media attention everywhere from ESPN The Magazine to Field and Stream Magazine to the USA Today/Zagat list of America’s best sandwich shops.
“I am so honored to be named the 2015 SBA Ohio Small Business Person the Year,” Fish said in a statement. “These past nine years working in Ohio and getting to know its awesome people have been remarkable. All of us at the Melt family look forward to many more years serving our guests amazing food and helping to build up our communities.”