Fat Matt's Rib Shack. . . the American Dream! By James Owens, Foundation Executive Vice President As a young boy growing up in Augusta, Georgia, I envisioned the "American Dream" as owning a teardrop Corvette and my own hotdog stand. Just a few hours up the road in Atlanta there was another young boy-just two months younger than I. He too had his own idea of the "American Dream." Matt Harper (West Georgia) dreamed of owning a barbeque restaurant and driving an Eldorado. Although

slightly different from my "American Dream," the major difference between us is that Matt’s dream is now a reality.

Fat Matt's Rib Shack has been around since 1990 and is one of Atlanta's favorite hot-spots. Featuring great barbeque and live blues nightly, it’s a casual setting for the whole family to enjoy.

The dream, says Matt, came out of his enjoyment of outdoor cooking. When he realized that corporate-America just wasn’t for him, he finally decided to pursue his dream. He got started with a little assistance from his brother who proceeded to shoo him out the door saying, "You’re on your own."

Making his dream a reality came with a lot of hard work. "Those first 6-8 years were intense on-the-job training with 70-80 hour weeks," says Matt. He was multi-tasking many roles in his burgeoning business, rotating from head cook to dishwasher to bus boy to head rib-buyer and everything in between. "I had to wear a lot of hats," he says. All his hard work over the years has definitely paid off. The Blue Ribbon television show on Turner South

awarded Fat Matt's Rib Shack the 2005 Award for Best Wet Ribs in the South.*

How did Fat Matt’s earn this claim to fame? Matt humbly shares that he puts a lot of heart and soul into his ribs. I personally think it’s because this is the culmination of his dream. But what about his dream to own an Eldorado? Yes, much to the chagrin of his wife, Matt Harper purchased a Cadillac on his 40th birthday.

Today, Matt stays connected to his chapter at West Georgia. Although it’s about an hour away, for the past eight years he has been making the trip back to campus to provide food for all the brothers and alumni who gather during homecoming. It’s one way, he says, to stay connected to Sigma Nu. In the Atlanta area. . . or traveling there on business? Here’s where you can find Fat Matt's:

Fat Matt's Rib Shack
1811 Piedmont Ave
Atlanta, GA 30324
(404) 607-1622

*Note: Growing up in the south, I’m all too familiar with the ongoing barbeque wars. Each region of the country defends their type of barbeque vigorously. I have yet to find barbeque that I did not like. For the record, I have tasted Matt’s ribs on dozens of occasions and know first-hand that he is deserving of this award.