Sofia Richie, 22, made headlines on Oct. 17, when she stepped out with a hunky male who was later identified as Matthew Morton. The good-looking duo visited Nobu restaurant in Malibu, CA for a nice dinner date while dressed to impress. Now they’ve proven to be more than friends, as they were photographed making out during a Nov. 2 dinner in Beverly Hills. The budding romance comes just a couple of months after Sofia split from her longtime love Scott Disick, 37. Here are five things you should know about Matthew and where he comes from.
1.) He is the co-founder of Cha Cha Matcha. The business sells various matcha drinks and products in different forms, including lattes, iced teas, and powder, like the one seen in the video below, online and at locations in New York and in the L.A. area. “We started Cha Cha as an alternative to artisanal coffee culture and the extreme, hyperbolic world of energy drinks. This is not your ordinary caffeine fix,” the website says about the background of the company.
2.) His father, Peter Morton, is the founder of Hard Rock Cafe. His paternal grandfather, the late Arnie Morton, was also the founder of the Morton’s Steakhouse chain, so he comes from a business family. Matthew also had a brother, Harry Morton, who was the founder of the restaurant chain Pink Taco and owned Hollywood’s famous club, The Viper Room, at one point. Sadly, Harry died at the age of 38 due to sudden cardiac arrest caused by undiagnosed coronary artery disease on Nov. 23, 2019.
3.) Matthew is the second rumored love interest to Sofia since she ended her relationship with Scott. Before her Oct. 17 outing with him, she and longtime friend Jaden Smith, 22, caused speculation that they may have been an item when they were spotted hanging out at a beach and going to a group dinner together.
4.) He went to school at New York University. “When I graduated from college I was planning to go to University of Southern California (USC) starting in the spring, but I had also been accepted to NYU starting in the fall,” he told Toolsy in an interview about his successful business, Cha Cha Matcha, earlier this year. “I decided to check New York out for a few months, and the second day I was there I knew I wanted to stay. I ended up staying in New York for all 4 years of college and studied Business Management with a minor in Art History.”
He also revealed that he recently moved back to L.A., where he was prior to the Big Apple.
5.) The inspiration for his business and work ethic comes from his family. “My family has been in food and beverage now for 4 generations. That’s definitely been an inspiration for me,” he told Toolsy. “Walking with my dad in his restaurants and hotels was always something I enjoyed. Being young and seeing all of these big operations as I grew up was really special. It’s always been a dream of mine to have a hotel or restaurant. Food and beverage was one of the many things I was interested in growing up. I’ve also always been passionate about art, film, music and literature.”
