March 2021: Kush and Stephens Deli are no longer at Time Out Market Miami, but you can find their brick-and-mortar location in Wynwood and Hialeah, respectively.
Welcome to Restaurant Diaries, where we go behind the scenes and into the weeds with the chefs, restaurateurs and talented folks hustling hard at Time Out Market Miami. This week, an action-packed day with Kush Hospitality’s Matt Kuscher, whose growing restaurant portfolio includes LoKal, Kush, Spillover, Vicky’s House and the soon-to-open Stephens Deli in Hialeah, plus two Time Out Market eateries, Kush and Stephens Deli. He chronicled his very exhausting—and highly productive—day for us, as he zipped around the city, made copious mental notes, racked his brain about pastrami and darted home just in time for his daughter’s bedtime. (As told to and edited by us.)
RECOMMENDED: Guide to Time Out Market Miami
Alarm goes off at 6:30am...
I wake up, sit in bed and start planning the day’s to-do list and ways to improve. Here’s a brief (!!) list of all that’s running through my mind:
–Switch scales from six-pound to two-pound so staff can read the numbers better
–How can we improve on the sandwich? Boil it longer or change the steam settings? Toast the bun? Serve a whole pickle? (note to self: Call Winston to get info on how to hold pastrami better), add more meat (note to self: Calculate food cost if I decide to offer more meat)
–Fryer not turning on properly, need to call to fix
–Losing two long-term employees. I need to wish them well and have exit interviews to make sure it was nothing we could have done better
Two hours later, at 8:30am, I help my five-months-pregnant wife dress my daughter for school.
Spend the morning at Stephens Deli in Hialeah
I’m at Stephens Deli (1000 E 16th St, Hialeah, FL) by 9:15am. I meet the locksmith, who’s synching new locks; walk-through with my handyman; and coordinate with the electrician for entry. At 11am, I meet the inspector for hotels/restaurants for the final inspection. We complete my walk-through and pass—one step closer to opening!
Emails, emails and more emails
I skip lunch at 1pm and head straight into emails. I have an ongoing back-and-forth with our old payroll company, accountant and IRS over some missing documents from 2016. I’m also working on final pricing for our new Kaptain Kush beer and reaching out to print shops about signage and discount “passports” for employees. It’s my way of thanking them with discounts at Kaptain Kush’s favorite spots all over town.
I’m in Hialeah on a buildout and not spending as much time inside the restaurants, but I send messages to all my management teams to make sure they know they can still call me with any support they need.
When things go south...
I learn the meat grinder has arrived to replace the one that broke on Sunday, so I need to pick it up and switch it out at Time Out Market later today.
I call up the city because they removed our “Now Hiring” sign, claiming that it was on sidewalk/city property, even though it was taken from our grass area. And oh, yeah. We’ve also been getting overcharged for mayo—I need to pull invoices to get credits.
Other issues I’m working through on the phone today include dealing with road closures blocking Kush in Wynwood and finding new mustard. The one we use is no longer in stock, so I need to find an alternative.
The errands are endless
I get balloons, a gift card and a thank-you card for Nerva, a five-year employee who has worked the grill and assembled for us at Kush. I’m very lucky to have such great staff.
It’s 2pm and I realize I still have not eaten today. But it’s time to pick up the dry cleaning and go to the bank to deal with deposits/financial hiccups stemming from credit and bank fraud that delays us. I can’t have payroll being affected.
I’ve been talking to management/chefs all day about ways we can fix our pastrami issue since we don’t have the correct equipment, and brainstorming as we drive all options.
I try the new Dasher & Crank samples for ice-cream sandwiches at Vicky’s and, at 3:45pm, I finally sit down for a grilled cheese soup at LoKal. I eat it cold.
At 4pm, before scooting over to Spillover for a quick meeting about the In-Cider Festival, I meet about installing a new grease trap—a required upgrade that’s going to cost us $45,000 and will have zero impact on sales or guest satisfaction.
After a manager evaluation, I stick around for Yappy Hour and then head to Kush to deliver Nerva’s five-year-anniversary gift. At Kush, I notice the key lime pie is being overcooked, so I jump in and make new ones.
Night shift at Time Out Market Miami
I head to the Market at 6:30pm with my meat grinder in tow, plus the hot plate and some Kaptain Krunch cereal to sell. I try the pastrami to see if it tastes better with the new cooking method, and it does. Great job Laurie/Leo/Adrian!
I work the counter at Stephens, talking to every customer and getting feedback, making sandwiches and ensuring quality control. Before heading out at 9:30pm, I speak with marketing to discuss strategies for promoting the new Stephens in Hialeah.
At 10pm, I’m home and put my daughter to sleep.
