Hustle at Every Stage of Business (Anton Matthews)

Anton Matthews, director of Hustle Group, shares his journey from small-scale entrepreneurship to building a multi-brand hospitality empire. Starting with selling CDs and DVDs in school, he progressed to running Joe's Garage cafes before launching Fush, a premium fish and chip concept that uniquely incorporates Te Reo Māori.

The integration of Te Reo into his business wasn't just a marketing strategy - it stemmed from speaking Māori with his children and a desire to normalise the language in public spaces. This cultural focus created a distinctive brand identity and led to free Te Reo classes that attracted thousands, evolving into Hustle Education, a corporate training division.

Hustle Group has scaled from a $3 million revenue operation to approaching $10 million, expanding to multiple venues including new airport locations. Matthews discusses the challenges of transitioning from owner-operator to building systems and teams that can run without his constant presence. The group now encompasses multiple brands: Fush restaurants, a food truck called 'The Fusher', Joe's Garage cafes, and a catering division serving notable clients including Antarctica's US program.

Looking ahead, Matthews plans to consolidate the business while developing more content and public speaking engagements through Hustle Education. He emphasises the importance of genuine hospitality (manaakitanga) and creating meaningful guest experiences through attention to detail and consistent service delivery.