Arita Matini (Class of 2009) opened her first restaurant at 21 as a Marymount senior.
“I was living at home in McLean and driving up and down Chain Bridge Road every day wishing there were more food options, especially healthy options rather than just a McDonald’s and a Subway,” Matini said.
Although she originally came to Marymount to study interior design, she was drawn to food and entrepreneurship.
“When I was young, I used to tell people I wanted to be a restaurant owner,” Matini said. “My mother owned a bakery in McLean called Sweet Stuff for many years, so I grew up around the food industry. It’s in my blood, as if being a restaurant owner was my destiny from the beginning.”
It felt like fate for Matini when an old ice cream shop on Chain Bridge Road went up for lease. She “jumped at the chance” to create a place offering the healthier meal options she was craving.
“My family initially thought the idea of opening a restaurant was insane, especially in 2009 when the country was in the midst of an economic recession and I was just months away from graduation,” Matini recalled.
But after visiting the location and seeing a “diamond in the rough with lots of potential,” her parents agreed to support her in the endeavor. Matini and her family took over the building and Sweet Leaf was born within a few months.
From the beginning, Sweet Leaf was a family affair. Older brother Andre teamed up with his sister to help develop the concept, while their mother brought her culinary experience and recipes to the business. Together, the Matinis created a menu focused on healthy eating, partnered with local farmers and suppliers to source fresh ingredients and designed a restaurant with community and family at its core. With high-quality food and service, Sweet Leaf has become a go-to spot for delicious and nutritious food.
“What attracted people to Sweet Leaf was our focus on fresh, high-quality ingredients,” Matini said. “My family has Persian heritage, and my mother created the menu from her recipes, which added a special homemade touch.”
Two years after founding Sweet Leaf, Matini opened a second location in Vienna.
“The Vienna location is my baby,” Matini said. “By then, I wasn’t working alongside my mom anymore. I had to step up, manage and lead my own team, all while still absorbing everything I could about the business. The second location’s successful launch showed me I was capable of being a leader.”
The business continued to grow, with six more DMV locations opening since. With each one, Matini has leaned on her interior design education to create welcoming environments in her restaurants. But her journey hasn’t been without challenges — like many other businesses, Sweet Leaf was hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We shuttered one of our locations permanently to stay afloat,” Matini said. “It was a hard time, but there was also a silver lining. During the pandemic, we kept our McLean and Ballston locations open, ensuring we remained a reliable and healthy food source for our customers. We truly felt the support from our community, and that shared experience played a big role in strengthening our loyal customer base.”
Having survived the worst of the pandemic, Matini looks forward to continued growth for the Sweet Leaf brand through a new location at 14th and U Streets in Washington and expanding the catering side of the business. She’s also eager to find new ways to partner with Marymount, such as offering student discounts and catering university events.
Matini encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to “believe in themselves” and “be fearless.”
“If there is something you want to do and you are passionate about it, you should pursue it. It’s easy to get caught up in the mundane cycle of everyday life and forget to follow your dreams. But if you believe in yourself and truly do what makes you happy, the rest will come.”
