How Working At The White House Prepared Andre Rush For His New Show - Exclusive

Andre Rush has faced tough challenges in his life, but he never wavers in his service. As part of the U.S. Army, he served as a combat veteran in Iraq and was at the Pentagon on 9/11 — a day that he'll never forget. These experiences have ultimately shaped who Rush is today, which is an author, a former chef at the White House, and now the host of his own show, "Kitchen Commando."

The Mississippi native worked for nearly 20 years making top-tier cuisine during the administrations of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. In an exclusive interview, Andre Rush told Mashed that working for multiple commanders-in-chief helped him prepare for his new series by exposing him to many different types of people and cultures and strict time constraints.

"In the White House and some of the places I've served, you have to know etiquette, religion, serving from the left and right, doing this, saying certain things, being certain ways," Rush explained. "Multitasking on all those levels [is] extraordinary, and it's a necessity when you're dealing with so many different cultures or people or organizations, especially in the food industry."

Chef Andre Rush said he also learned during his time at the White House that it's extremely important to focus on your audience and what they like rather than your own personal taste. The Bronze Star Medal recipient brought this knowledge with him to "Kitchen Commando" by reminding struggling restaurants that it's not just about what they enjoy eating.

"Take your personal things out of consideration," he said. "If you like fried baloney, everybody else may not like it. But if you can [find something that] everybody else loves, then think about that. Don't be conceited [and] say, 'My way is the only way.' Look at your audience and make a medium where you can feed everyone and make everyone happy."

Rush shared that there's no issue with taking pride in what you make, but you have to make sure diners like what you're serving them. "You can't make a number 10 hot spiced food for everybody's sensitive palate [if] yours is the only one that can stand it," he said.

Ultimately, Rush's best piece of advice for businesses from his experience in the Army and at the White House is to keep going and not give up. "Keep doing what you're doing, and never waver on your service," he said. "Do everything you do like it's the first day. Every day is the first day. That's what I always tell all my guys."

New episodes of "Kitchen Commando" are released on Tubi every Sunday through April 16.