Click here to read more Cougar Corner profiles DIRK SMITH ALL IN THE FAMILY For many Cougar entrepreneurs, owning their own business runs in the family, and Dirk Smith (1982, 1992) is no exception. “I would definitely say that I grew up in the restaurant business,” Smith said. “I helped my father with many different aspects of his busi- ness and learned a great deal from him. I pretty much knew from day one that that was what I wanted to do when I grew up.” Smith, who now owns the Houston market for Diedrich's Coffee, took after his father in more ways than one. He attended the University of Houston after graduating from Humble High School because his father, Don Smith, taught marketing and hotel and restau- rant management classes at UH for many years. After graduating from the university with his first degree, Smith took administrative positions with an oil company and a fast food chain before opening up Sizzlin' Quick, a small chain of fast food restaurants in southeast Houston. During that time, he recon- nected with the university by having several hotel and restaurant management classes work with him on several projects for class credit. Smith's relationship with Diedrich's began in 1999 when he moved to California to join the company as head of operations. During this time his entrepreneurial spirit resurfaced, and he decided to buy out the entire Houston market. “I missed being in Houston,” Smith said. “Although I was not born here I consider Houston to be my hometown. After all, I lived here for 24 years.” Currently he manages Houston's three stores, traveling to and from California several times a month. He still maintains strong ties with the university by employing several stu- dents in his coffee shops, catering different events on campus and planning more class-credit projects with hotel and restaurant management classes. Smith currently resides in Orange County, California with his wife and two children. ( more )