meet our team
Matthew Kuscher, also known as "Kush", is the owner of LoKal, Kush, Vicky's House, Stephen’s Delicatessen, La Cocina, and Kush by Spillover. LoKal was his first venture on his own, but he's been in the restaurant business since he was a young boy. Kush is a 3rd generation restaurateur—his father successfully owned several cafeterias and a Dunkin' Donuts shop for decades in Washington D.C. His grandfather owned restaurants and bars from the 50s through the 80s in New York and Broward County. After fifteen years of living the corporate life, he hung up his suit and tie and traded it for a T-shirt, jeans, and a life long dream of doing what he loves most—creating restaurant concepts. He is extremely passionate about buying local, and making sure his ingredients and products are top quality. To accomplish this, he visits all his purveyors' businesses to ensure they are aligned with his values.
Kush has visited and inspected several farms, such as Fort McCoy Ranch in Marion County, FL and is a proud supporter of grass-fed and free range farming. Other local partners he gushes about are Clewiston Farms in Clewiston, Florida (home of fresh Florida alligators for LoKal's famous Alligator Strips), and all the local breweries—they were some of the first to be part of Matt's vision. From the inception of his brainchild LoKal, sustainability was at the top of his list of priorities. This is evident in the upcycled decor and art murals which provide seating and visual aesthetics as well as waste management and recycling services provided to his establishments.
Born and raised in Washington D.C. to a Jewish father and Puerto Rican mother, Kush received his Bachelor's in Hospitality from Florida International University in 2000, and earned his chops while working for two industry leaders—Levy Restaurant Group and Hillstone Restaurant Group—but a lifetime of education imparted by his father has truly molded his success. His spent eleven years working at a number of east coast Houston's locations until finally landing in the Miami location. Kush's philosophy is simple: "Give guests the freshest and best quality ingredients in a cool, clean environment; and always make them leave happier than when they arrived.
Kush married his long time darling Priscilla—a well-versed foodie and adventure junkie. Together, they take on the Miami food scene with a unique sense of family and grassroots conviction. Priscilla keeps him grounded in many ways and is an integral part of LoKal's day-to-day activities. She studied nutrition and dietetics at FIU and is a big believer in the old adage, "You are what you eat." Eager to show Miami that eating well and living well can happen symbiotically— she looks forward to welcoming every guest into LoKal just as she would if it were her home.
They are driven to spread the message of nutritious dining, active lifestyle and balanced living along with their daughter, Mila, and fur-babies, Yeyo and Chichi—two of the most adorable French bulldogs the world has ever seen.
Born in San Francisco, CA raised in Miami, FL, this little spitfire started working as a hostess at LoKal when she was 17 years old. She found herself craving more responsibility, and saw herself growing with the company's expanding opportunities. She has since been groomed in every position, both in the kitchen and front of the house. Her ambitious nature, creativity, and tenacity landed her titles such as the General Manager at KUSH in Wynwood, and most recently, Director of Operations for the company. Zuni is truly remarkable in her ability to lead, and sets the highest of standards for herself and her staff. Outside the restaurant she's a lover of craft beer, fishing, and a perfect pair of shoes.Send Zuni An Email
Largo Florida native, Amanda Edwards graduated with a B.S in Fine Arts in 2014 from New World School of the Arts. Since her involvement & passion in the craft beer community in 2015, she has landed a home with Kush Hospitality as the Beverage Director or should we say "Craft Beer Guru" at LoKal & Vicky's Beer Store. When she's not running Coconut Grove’s first beer store, she's sipping at breweries, jamming to old school tunes and imprinting her green thumb into upcycled beer cans.Send Amanda An Email
Spider has been cooking up a storm at LoKal since day one. Originally from food haven New Orleans, raised in California, and with ample time spent in Georgetown, Spider brings us his 40 years of corporate kitchen experience. His diverse flavors and laidback vibe are both very well represented in his dishes. Like him, his food isn’t over complicated, but focuses on simplicity and bold flavors to take you on a culinary journey. Spider is seasoned to perfection just like his reciepes and menus.Send Spider An Email
Born and raised in the '305', this Cuban-American’s sweet exterior epitomizes the “tip of the iceberg” ideology. She is unquestionably equal parts genuine, kind, light-hearted, and fun, but don’t let that fool you into overlooking her undeniable hustle and focus. This girl has some serious goals and has every intention of smashing them! Erika gives every guest that walks through our doors the best experience possible. Outside our doors, she loves spending quality time with her adorable Blue Heeler pup, Gypsy, and her family.Send Erika An Email
Dave has been with Kush Hospitality since 2009, where he started humbly as a dishwasher. Very quickly, he worked his way through every position in the kitchen. His talent and work ethic earned him his current title as Lokal’s Kitchen Manager. Dave has always had a passion for cooking from scratch. This combined with his creativity and detail-oriented nature creates the perfect storm for incredibly delicious cooking. In his spare time, Dave spends every minute he can with his children making memories and watching them grow.Send Dave An Email
meet our team
Matthew Kuscher, also known as "Kush", is the owner of LoKal, Kush, Vicky's House, Stephen’s Delicatessen, La Cocina, and Kush by Spillover. LoKal was his first venture on his own, but he's been in the restaurant business since he was a young boy. Kush is a 3rd generation restaurateur—his father successfully owned several cafeterias and a Dunkin' Donuts shop for decades in Washington D.C. His grandfather owned restaurants and bars from the 50s through the 80s in New York and Broward County. After fifteen years of living the corporate life, he hung up his suit and tie and traded it for a T-shirt, jeans, and a life long dream of doing what he loves most—creating restaurant concepts. He is extremely passionate about buying local, and making sure his ingredients and products are top quality. To accomplish this, he visits all his purveyors' businesses to ensure they are aligned with his values.
Kush has visited and inspected several farms, such as Fort McCoy Ranch in Marion County, FL and is a proud supporter of grass-fed and free range farming. Other local partners he gushes about are Clewiston Farms in Clewiston, Florida (home of fresh Florida alligators for LoKal's famous Alligator Strips), and all the local breweries—they were some of the first to be part of Matt's vision. From the inception of his brainchild LoKal, sustainability was at the top of his list of priorities. This is evident in the upcycled decor and art murals which provide seating and visual aesthetics as well as waste management and recycling services provided to his establishments.
Born and raised in Washington D.C. to a Jewish father and Puerto Rican mother, Kush received his Bachelor's in Hospitality from Florida International University in 2000, and earned his chops while working for two industry leaders—Levy Restaurant Group and Hillstone Restaurant Group—but a lifetime of education imparted by his father has truly molded his success. His spent eleven years working at a number of east coast Houston's locations until finally landing in the Miami location. Kush's philosophy is simple: "Give guests the freshest and best quality ingredients in a cool, clean environment; and always make them leave happier than when they arrived.
Kush married his long time darling Priscilla—a well-versed foodie and adventure junkie. Together, they take on the Miami food scene with a unique sense of family and grassroots conviction. Priscilla keeps him grounded in many ways and is an integral part of LoKal's day-to-day activities. She studied nutrition and dietetics at FIU and is a big believer in the old adage, "You are what you eat." Eager to show Miami that eating well and living well can happen symbiotically— she looks forward to welcoming every guest into LoKal just as she would if it were her home.
They are driven to spread the message of nutritious dining, active lifestyle and balanced living along with their daughter, Mila, and fur-babies, Yeyo and Chichi—two of the most adorable French bulldogs the world has ever seen.
Born in San Francisco, CA raised in Miami, FL, this little spitfire started working as a hostess at LoKal when she was 17 years old. She found herself craving more responsibility, and saw herself growing with the company's expanding opportunities. She has since been groomed in every position, both in the kitchen and front of the house. Her ambitious nature, creativity, and tenacity landed her titles such as the General Manager at KUSH in Wynwood, and most recently, Director of Operations for the company. Zuni is truly remarkable in her ability to lead, and sets the highest of standards for herself and her staff. Outside the restaurant she's a lover of craft beer, fishing, and a perfect pair of shoes.Send Zuni An Email
Largo Florida native, Amanda Edwards graduated with a B.S in Fine Arts in 2014 from New World School of the Arts. Since her involvement & passion in the craft beer community in 2015, she has landed a home with Kush Hospitality as the Beverage Director or should we say "Craft Beer Guru" at LoKal & Vicky's Beer Store. When she's not running Coconut Grove’s first beer store, she's sipping at breweries, jamming to old school tunes and imprinting her green thumb into upcycled beer cans.Send Amanda An Email
Spider has been cooking up a storm at LoKal since day one. Originally from food haven New Orleans, raised in California, and with ample time spent in Georgetown, Spider brings us his 40 years of corporate kitchen experience. His diverse flavors and laidback vibe are both very well represented in his dishes. Like him, his food isn’t over complicated, but focuses on simplicity and bold flavors to take you on a culinary journey. Spider is seasoned to perfection just like his reciepes and menus.Send Spider An Email
Born and raised in the '305', this Cuban-American’s sweet exterior epitomizes the “tip of the iceberg” ideology. She is unquestionably equal parts genuine, kind, light-hearted, and fun, but don’t let that fool you into overlooking her undeniable hustle and focus. This girl has some serious goals and has every intention of smashing them! Erika gives every guest that walks through our doors the best experience possible. Outside our doors, she loves spending quality time with her adorable Blue Heeler pup, Gypsy, and her family.Send Erika An Email
Dave has been with Kush Hospitality since 2009, where he started humbly as a dishwasher. Very quickly, he worked his way through every position in the kitchen. His talent and work ethic earned him his current title as Lokal’s Kitchen Manager. Dave has always had a passion for cooking from scratch. This combined with his creativity and detail-oriented nature creates the perfect storm for incredibly delicious cooking. In his spare time, Dave spends every minute he can with his children making memories and watching them grow.Send Dave An Email