YOUNGSTOWN -- Like many teenagers, Matt Sutton worked at a fast-food restaurant while he attended

YOUNGSTOWN -- Like many teenagers, Matt Sutton worked at a fast-food restaurant while he attended high school. But unlike most teens, he used the experience as a stepping stone for what would become a career in the restaurant industry.
He now is co-owner of Martini's, a downtown restaurant.
His first big step into the business occurred when a summer vacation in Orlando, Fla., turned into a five-year stay.
He loved the climate, but realized he needed to find a job. Soon, he "fell in love" with a 1,500-room Marriott hotel there, and he was hired to prepare meals for those using a nearby golf course. From there, he began four years of culinary training and learned to work as a server and in other parts of the restaurant business.
Returned to Valley
After five years in Florida, Sutton returned to the Mahoning Valley and wasted no time finding another job in the restaurant industry. He spent the next several years serving as the executive chef for the former Paonessa's restaurant in Boardman, as well as for the Youngstown Club.
By the mid-1990s, Sutton had opened The Roasted Pepper in Austintown.
"That's when I knew I'd eventually get back into opening my own place," he said. "I kept my eyes open for the right place."
The right place for Sutton came about two years ago when the End of the Tunnel, a bar and grill, closed in the City Centre One building. Sutton joined with Jerry Myers, who works for Trumbull County and is Sutton's business partner, to create a new restaurant there.
One nice feature is a parking lot where he can offer free parking to customers.
Sutton's wife, Debby, a special education preschool teacher in Alliance, works part time at the restaurant doing bookkeeping and other tasks.
Sutton said he and his five employees have tried to create an upscale and intimate atmosphere at the business, and that he mixes improvisation with his other ingredients.
"Most of the recipes are things I've come up with over the years," Sutton said.
In addition to spending a lot of time in his restaurant's kitchen and dining room, the 14-year chef can occasionally be found in a classroom. He teaches two four-week courses each fall at Youngstown State University's Metro College -- one on how to prepare various soups and the other on how to use appetizers and other foods to plan a party.
Sutton said he plans to add new equipment to the kitchen area by the end of the summer and expand his menu toward the end of June.