Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
What was supposed to be a $1 million restaurant renovation became a four-year, $10 million fight for survival.
In Episode 97 of The Big Dawgs Podcast, Manning Sumner sits down with Kush, founder of Kush Hospitality Group and the creative force behind some of Miami’s most recognizable restaurant concepts.
Kush opens up about rebuilding Kush Wynwood, throwing three financial “Hail Marys,” nearly leaving Miami and reaching moments when he genuinely believed the entire project was over.
But he refused to quit.
The new development is about much more than reopening a restaurant. Above Kush, He is creating ten affordable apartments reserved for hospitality workers, giving people the opportunity to live close to the communities where they work.
Kush and Manning also discuss:
• Growing up in the restaurant business
• Watching their fathers lose everything
• Why Matt works every day like it could all disappear
• Going from a $1 million budget to nearly $10 million
• The dangers of building a business on someone else’s property
• Why he never wants another landlord
• Creating affordable housing for hospitality workers
• Preserving the history and culture of Wynwood
• Building unforgettable customer experiences
• The power of unreasonable hospitality
• Giving employees and young entrepreneurs real opportunities
• Why successful business owners cannot afford to quit
• Ignoring outside opinions and focusing on family
• What it truly means to live with a NO DAYS OFF mentality
Kush’s story is proof that people often see the finished product without understanding the years of pressure, sacrifice, fear and uncertainty behind it.
This wasn’t luck.
It was persistence, relationships, community and the refusal to stop when everything appeared to be falling apart.
Subscribe for more conversations with entrepreneurs, athletes, creators and leaders who are committed to becoming the best versions of themselves.
Follow Kush
@kushhospitality
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-big-dawgs-with-manning-sumner/id1667127648
open.spotify.com/show/4yJuvkdFdVChIdW0wdCm18?si=90ae60d43d2746e3
___________________
Follow Manning Sumner
Instagram: instagram.com/manningsumner
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/manningsumner
TikTok: tiktok.com/@manningsumner
Twitter: x.com/manningsumner
NO DAYS OFF: instagram.com/nodaysoff
_______________
Follow NO DAYS OFF Premium Water
Website: drinkndo.com
Instagram: instagram.com/drinknodaysoff
_______________
LEGACY GYM
Website: legacyfit.com
Instagram: instagram.com/legacynodaysoff/?hl=en
NO DAYS OFF® is never taking a day off on you. It is a commitment to becoming your best self.
NO DAYS OFF®
What was supposed to be a $1 million restaurant renovation became a four-year, $10 million fight for survival.
In Episode 97 of The Big Dawgs Podcast, Manning Sumner sits down with Kush, founder of Kush Hospitality Group and the creative force behind some of Miami’s most recognizable restaurant concepts.
Kush opens up about rebuilding Kush Wynwood, throwing three financial “Hail Marys,” nearly leaving Miami and reaching moments when he genuinely believed the entire project was over.
But he refused to quit.
The new development is about much more than reopening a restaurant. Above Kush, He is creating ten affordable apartments reserved for hospitality workers, giving people the opportunity to live close to the communities where they work.
Kush and Manning also discuss:
• Growing up in the restaurant business
• Watching their fathers lose everything
• Why Matt works every day like it could all disappear
• Going from a $1 million budget to nearly $10 million
• The dangers of building a business on someone else’s property
• Why he never wants another landlord
• Creating affordable housing for hospitality workers
• Preserving the history and culture of Wynwood
• Building unforgettable customer experiences
• The power of unreasonable hospitality
• Giving employees and young entrepreneurs real opportunities
• Why successful business owners cannot afford to quit
• Ignoring outside opinions and focusing on family
• What it truly means to live with a NO DAYS OFF mentality
Kush’s story is proof that people often see the finished product without understanding the years of pressure, sacrifice, fear and uncertainty behind it.
This wasn’t luck.
It was persistence, relationships, community and the refusal to stop when everything appeared to be falling apart.
Subscribe for more conversations with entrepreneurs, athletes, creators and leaders who are committed to becoming the best versions of themselves.
Follow Kush
@kushhospitality
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-big-dawgs-with-manning-sumner/id1667127648
open.spotify.com/show/4yJuvkdFdVChIdW0wdCm18?si=90ae60d43d2746e3
___________________
Follow Manning Sumner
Instagram: instagram.com/manningsumner
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/manningsumner
TikTok: tiktok.com/@manningsumner
Twitter: x.com/manningsumner
NO DAYS OFF: instagram.com/nodaysoff
_______________
Follow NO DAYS OFF Premium Water
Website: drinkndo.com
Instagram: instagram.com/drinknodaysoff
_______________
LEGACY GYM
Website: legacyfit.com
Instagram: instagram.com/legacynodaysoff/?hl=en
NO DAYS OFF® is never taking a day off on you. It is a commitment to becoming your best self.
NO DAYS OFF®
