Best Student-Run Business: Breakfast Jawn

It should come as no surprise to anyone on campus that the Breakfast Jawn has won Best Student Run Business in its first year of operation. It quickly became a fan favorite with customizable menu items such as bowls, sandwiches and burritos, and more recently started offering weekly specials. 

Co-founder Logan Fowler said that he had remembered going through the Best of Carolina voting process his freshman and sophomore year, but was shocked when he found out about the Breakfast Jawn’s nomination since he never realized that there was a student-run business category.

When the Breakfast Jawn opened on Feb. 21, 2023, the business operated out of an old hot dog stand on the Humanities side of campus. The stand had been gifted to them by Aramark, USC’s food partner. They spent only a few weeks in the stand before they had outgrown the capacity for the area.

“We had our little system, in our own corner of campus, and we were getting customers. It was exactly what we thought it would be. We had no idea that it would end up like this,” said co-founder Jacob Matthew.

In October 2023, the Breakfast Jawn launched its next chapter in the form of a food truck.

“It was the best thing that has happened to us,” Fowler said.

With the new venture came a new location, new customers and new responsibilities. Unfortunately, come November the restaurant had to close for the semester due to needed maintenance on the truck.

The long-anticipated reopening of the Breakfast Jawn was not entirely out of reach. With the spring semester coming up, the store teased on its Instagram page what fans had been hoping for. Thursday, Jan. 11 marked the Breakfast Jawn’s return to Greene Street.

“It was like we never left,” Fowler said. “A large amount of our business is still freshmen, so we didn’t have to attract a new crop. It was great to see people super excited, and the transition was easy.”

While looking forward to its first anniversary, it also brought back memories of how they started.

“Logan and I were roommates, and I was just looking for a job,” Matthew said. “I knew the basics (of running a restaurant) and thought, ‘Why not do it myself?’”

Fowler had taken a few classes in the Hospitality department as part of his minor and reached out to a former professor for help. This was the connection the pair needed to really get started.

When separately asked about what advice they would give to students looking to start a business, both Fowler and Matthew had similar answers.

“There’s a lot of people at this university that are willing to help you, so you just need to ask,” Matthew said.

“It's cool to know that there’s resources on campus,” Fowler said. “There’s room and resources to get involved on campus.”

Looking forward, the pair want to ensure that their legacy continues long after their graduation next year. They now have six employees that they have trained alongside them.

“We’re just figuring it out one day at a time,” Matthew said. “There’s only so much you can do to plan for the future.”

From not knowing how to run a business to winning Best Student Run Business in a single year, the future definitely seems bright for the Breakfast Jawn.