MATTHEW AND PRISCILLA KUSCHER

Matthew Kuscher, also known as Kush, is the owner of LoKal. This is his 1^st venture on his own but he has been in the restaurant business since he was a small boy. Kush is a 3rd generation restaurateur. His father successfully owned a string of cafeterias and a Dunkin’ Donuts shop for decades in Washington DC; and 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 puts away the suits and hung his ties and is doing what he loves most. He is very passionate about buying local, making sure his ingredients and products are top quality. To do this he visits all his purveyors businesses.

Kush has visited and inspected the farm in Sumterville where he buys his beef and chicken, the alligator at Cypress Creek Farms, The wine at Schnebly Winery where he buys wine, Cigar City brewery and Tequesta Brewing Company where he sells their beers and even Waste Services recycled processing area to make sure the recyling company he uses has the highest of standards. Born and raised in Washington DC 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, most recently, Hillstone Restaurant Group; and of course, a lifetime of education provided by his father as well. His last eleven years were spent working at a number of east coast Houston’s locations until finally landing in their Coral Gables location where he successfully orchestrated the day-to-day operations at the company’s most nationally acclaimed restaurant. Kush’s philosophy is simple, “Give guests the freshest and best quality ingredients in a, cool, clean environment; and always make them leave happier then when they arrived.”

When Kush is not working, he can be found back-packing through Europe, savoring BBQ throughout the southern portion of the USA or taking bullet trains in Japan. His multi-cultural heritage spawned a fascination for travel, culture and food early on, leaving him with an infectious passion for food of every kind and the adventurous spirit of a roving nomad in search of learning and appreciating cultures one bite at a time.

Kush recently married his long time darling, Priscilla. She too shares his passion for food and travel and will be assisting him in a number 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. Together, they are driven to spread the message of nutritious dining, active lifestyle and balanced living. Their “son,” Yeyo, a French bulldog, will serve as guard dog and head mascot.

ALBERT COLLADO

Although born on an Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas, Albert Collado, has been calling Florida ‘home’ for over thirty years. This is almost as long as he’s been in the restaurant business.

Starting from his early teens in the back of the house of his parents’ Miami Springs restaurant where he stayed through high school. Once leaving there, he moved into the front of the house as a server until old enough to tend bar. Bartending all over Coconut Grove, from Dan Marino’s to Club St. Croix and Murphy’s Law. He moved into management while working at Murphy’s Law and Crazy Pianos, and up to Assistant General Manager in central Florida, assisting with the opening of Sunset Grill in Clermont.

Deciding to return to his roots, Collado, decided to pursue his passion in the back of the house and enrolled in culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu and started cooking at Houston’s in Coral Gables. Graduating Summa cum laude, this ACF certified chef and Chaine des Rotisseurs medalist, was picked up to head his own kitchen in his familiar Coconut Grove, at the new and exciting burger and beer joint, LoKal.

DAVID RODRIGUEZ

David is our beer guru and you can find him behind the bar most days either tasting beers, talking about beers, reading about new beers or planning trips to a local brewery. He is a certified level one Cicerone which is to beer what sommelier is to wine.