In what's a bittersweet culmination of a dream tinged with personal loss, Dynamite Korean Street Food and Sushi Grill, a family-owned restaurant in Las Vegas, has shuttered its doors. The establishment made headlines when a TikTok spotlight transformed it into a viral sensation, but the Park family is waving goodbye to their passion project just months after opening, following the demise of its founder, Jong Park.
Having emigrated from Korea, Jong worked his way from the ground up to realize his lifelong ambition of running his own restaurateur's endeavor. Diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer in February 2023, he passed away on December 27, 2023, but not before seeing his dream materialize, albeit briefly. According to a statement obtained by News3LV, before his death, Jong insisted to his family, "when it's time to give it up, just let it go; you don't have to worry about me; you don't have to keep this going for me; I know it is hard for you guys."
The TikTok fame came thanks to food critic Keith Lee, whose endorsement inspired queues that bent around the building, embodying a community's embrace of the park's gastronomic offerings. Despite the surge in popularity the restaurant enjoyed, the family encountered persistent struggles with staffing, which, blended with the pain of loss, bred unsustainable operating conditions. As per an interview Jong's son Steve gave to News3LV, running the restaurant without mourning his father has made his main priority.
Announcing the closure of Dynamite Korean Street Food and Sushi, Steve Park shared via a social media post the toll personal health challenges within the family had taken. Grappling with recent surgery procedures his mother had to undergo, Steve highlighted that the dream "wouldn't have been possible without you guys," affirming the support they had received from patrons far and wide. This sentiment echoed throughout a report by KTNV, where Steve reflected on the "insane moment" when Keith Lee's promotion saw customers waiting upwards of six hours to support the business on New Year's Eve.
