Matt Kuscher or “Kush” as his friends call him, doesn’t just open restaurants; he builds living, breathing love letters to Miami. As founder of Kush Hospitality, the third-generation restaurateur has spent the last decade turning burgers, beer, street art and hyperlocal storytelling into one of South Florida’s most recognizable hospitality brands.

He has launched or operated more than a dozen restaurant and bar concepts, including LoKal, The Spillover, Vicky’s House, Stephen’s Deli, Kush Wynwood, Kush at Clevelander, A Tribute to Tobacco Road by Kush, Victoria’s Vinos y Vermuteria, La Cocina and several others.

Describing himself as a “translator” of Miami culture, Kush designs his cult-favorite restaurants to celebrate the city’s eccentricities, immigrant influences, underground artists and unconventional icons. Paying tribute to Miami’s unique and sometimes shady history is a big part of what sets him apart.

“My design vibe is pure Miami in your face,” insists Kush.

For him, even the smallest details matter, from his handpicked playlists, iconic drink garnishes and bathroom shrines of Walter Mercado to his tribute to infamous gangsters that once lived in this building or even the Fidel Castro urinal cakes. “Everything in my restaurants has a story to tell,” he explains. “Maybe not always a meaningful one, but everything has a story.”

Art also plays a central role in Kush Hospitality concepts. From murals and hidden installations to commissioned works for the kitchen staff areas, Kush carefully curates artists and artworks that make each restaurant impossible to replicate.

The New York Times and Business Insider have highlighted Kush Hospitality concepts as essential Miami dining destinations.

This summer, Kush embarks on his most ambitious project to date, pairing hospitality with housing by developing 10 affordable/workforce studios, dedicated for hospitality workers, directly above his new restaurant, calling it the “Kush’s Corner,” a project he sees less as real estate and more as an investment in preserving the people who keep Miami’s restaurant industry running.

Located at the entrance to Wynwood’s rapidly evolving arts district, the nearly century-old flatiron-style building was slated for demolition after surviving hurricanes, riots and redevelopment waves. It carried the kind of gritty, layered history most developers would avoid, which is exactly what drew Kush in. During his first tour, he recalls encountering signs of illicit activity and the kind of overall disorder that underscored the building’s rough edges. “It was so unique, which I loved,” he says, seeing the chaos not as a deterrent, but as character and a building worth saving.

What began as an effort to revive Kush, evolved into something larger after Kush witnessed hospitality employees struggling to find affordable housing and traveling hours to commute to work.

Beyond housing, Kush is also using the project to create opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs by curating spaces for independent concepts, including a tattoo and piercing studio and a small cocktail omakase bar run by a first-time hospitality operator who Kush will help mentor through the grueling opening process.

Once unsure of his own path, Kush credits his years at Florida International University’s hospitality program with transforming his life, a full-circle journey that later led him back to FIU as an instructor mentoring the next generation of hospitality talent.

In addition, he collaborates with organizations like Pace Center for Girls, where he was recently a board member, to introduce students to careers in hospitality through

mentorship and internship opportunities. He also serves on the board of the Wynwood BID and remains active in community initiatives across Miami.

“Hospitality is in my DNA,” says Kush. “You can go to Paris, Tokyo or New York, but you’ll never find what exists in my concepts because they’re authentically Miami.”