Former Notre Dame football star opens first restaurant, hopes for many more: 'I bleed the Hoosier state'

Indianapolis Star

4 days ago

SOUTH BEND — Jaylon Smith is opening the first of what could be as many as eight or more Jinya Ramen Bar locations where he first rose to national prominence as a star linebacker for Notre Dame football.
After a soft opening on Tuesday, the sleek new 65-seat restaurant in Eddy Street Commons opens to the public July 9, with the first 100 customers in line for the 11 a.m. opening receiving a free bowl of ramen ― and perhaps the chance to interact with Smith, who's now playing for the Las Vegas Raiders.
'I wanted to bring something back to Notre Dame and the community,' Smith said of the restaurant that he partnered on with restaurateur Jim Wang. 'And I'd like to open several more in Indiana.'
Smith, who originally is from Fort Wayne and starred at Bishop Luers High School, said his hometown would be an obvious choice for a location in the future ― and suggested he's already begun scouting out possible locations.
'I'm Indiana through and through,' he said, while enjoying lunch at the new restaurant that fronts East Pokagon Street between Napoleon and St. Vincent streets. 'I bleed the Hoosier state; it's where I'm from.'
Founded in 2010 by CEO Tomo Takahashi, the new Jinya is the 74th for the Los Angeles-based chain that prides itself on serving fresh, made-to-order entrées and appetizers with plenty of vegan and vegetarian options.
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For the curious, Jinya means a place of community and connection in Japanese, according to the restaurant.
Prices for appetizers range from about $5 to $15 and dinners run from $20 to $40, and there's a full bar with mixes and syrups made on site. The restaurant, which is family friendly, is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and from 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays.
The new restaurant is one of several business interests for Smith since being selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2016 NFL Draft. 'I've been an entrepreneur for nine years,' he said.
Clear Eye View or CEV glasses and sunglasses and the Cycle Management Group, which provides financial education and insurance services, are among several business and philanthropic interests for the linebacker.
Unlike some athletes who have famously burned through career earnings, Smith said he does a lot of research and verification before deciding where to invest his money. 'I don't hand money over with blind trust,' he said.
'That's being lazy,' said Smith, who knows about the extreme work it takes to come back from a devastating knee injury like the one he suffered in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl. The winner of the Butkus Award for linebackers, Smith was projected as a top-5 pick in the NFL draft prior to the injury.
But work, determination and faith helped him overcome the knee injury and enjoy a lengthy career in the NFL. 'It was the first time that I worried that football could be taken from me,' he said.
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Now, Smith is planning for his future after football, developing businesses while splitting time between Fort Wayne, Texas and now Las Vegas. He even hopes to eventually partner with one of his old teammates at Notre Dame on a project.
'God willing, I have three more years of football,' he said.