Chris Lucas stands as one of Australia’s most daring and influential hospitality entrepreneurs — a creator of culture as much as a creator of restaurants. Over the past two decades, he has built a portfolio of iconic venues that consistently reset the benchmark for what dining in Australia can feel like: energetic, design-led, culturally fluent and unapologetically ambitious.
As the founder and driving force behind the Lucas Restaurants group, Lucas transformed venues like Chin Chin, Kisumé, Yakimono and Grill Americano into institutions that shape the way people eat, socialise and experience their city. His signature is unmistakable: theatrical concepts, world-class interiors, deep respect for global cuisines, and a relentless focus on service and atmosphere.
Lucas is widely regarded as a master of brand-building — each restaurant crafted not just as a place to dine, but as a sensory, high-voltage experience that blends food, music, art, design and cultural storytelling. His influence extends beyond hospitality; he has helped define Melbourne’s identity as one of the world’s great dining capitals while continually pushing the industry forward with scale, innovation and vision.
Bold, instinctive and fiercely committed to excellence, Chris Lucas has become a symbol of what modern entrepreneurial hospitality looks like: ambitious, experiential, culturally connected and impossible to ignore.
In this exclusive feature profile by Rob Langton & Ready Media Group, Chris takes us on journey inside his World, from what drives his success to how he thinks about his legacy & everything in between.
The Interview - Australia's most watched business program, featuring exclusive profiles of the Nation's most successful individuals.
Founder & Host - Rob Langton
Proudly produced, licensed & distributed by Ready Media Group.
Further Information:
https://readymedia.com.au/
https://lucascollective.com/
#ausbiz #businessnews #chrislucas #lucascollective #readymediagroup #readymedia #selfmade #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #sydney #melbourne #hospitality
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Chris Lucas stands as one of Australia’s most daring and influential hospitality entrepreneurs — a creator of culture as much as a creator of restaurants. Over the past two decades, he has built a portfolio of iconic venues that consistently reset the benchmark for what dining in Australia can feel like: energetic, design-led, culturally fluent and unapologetically ambitious.
As the founder and driving force behind the Lucas Restaurants group, Lucas transformed venues like Chin Chin, Kisumé, Yakimono and Grill Americano into institutions that shape the way people eat, socialise and experience their city. His signature is unmistakable: theatrical concepts, world-class interiors, deep respect for global cuisines, and a relentless focus on service and atmosphere.
Lucas is widely regarded as a master of brand-building — each restaurant crafted not just as a place to dine, but as a sensory, high-voltage experience that blends food, music, art, design and cultural storytelling. His influence extends beyond hospitality; he has helped define Melbourne’s identity as one of the world’s great dining capitals while continually pushing the industry forward with scale, innovation and vision.
Bold, instinctive and fiercely committed to excellence, Chris Lucas has become a symbol of what modern entrepreneurial hospitality looks like: ambitious, experiential, culturally connected and impossible to ignore.
In this exclusive feature profile by Rob Langton & Ready Media Group, Chris takes us on journey inside his World, from what drives his success to how he thinks about his legacy & everything in between.
The Interview - Australia's most watched business program, featuring exclusive profiles of the Nation's most successful individuals.
Founder & Host - Rob Langton
Proudly produced, licensed & distributed by Ready Media Group.
Further Information:
https://readymedia.com.au/
https://lucascollective.com/
#ausbiz #businessnews #chrislucas #lucascollective #readymediagroup #readymedia #selfmade #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #sydney #melbourne #hospitality
Joining our program on this episode is self-made billionaire Grant Petty - the founder and CEO of Blackmagic Design, the company behind some of the most game-changing technology in the film, television, and live production industries.
From cinema cameras to colour grading software to live switchers, Blackmagic has redefined what’s possible—and who gets access to it.
What started in Grant’s garage in Melbourne is now powering everything from Hollywood blockbusters to independent YouTube channels.
But more than a tech founder, Grant is a filmmaker at heart—driven by a belief that creativity shouldn’t be held back by cost or complexity.
In this conversation, we dive into the early days of Blackmagic, how Grant’s rural upbringing influenced his approach to innovation, and why he’s so obsessed with democratising creativity.
Founder & Host - Rob Langton
The Interview Australia
Chris Lucas stands as one of Australia’s most daring and influential hospitality entrepreneurs — a creator of culture as much as a creator of restaurants. Over the past two decades, he has built a portfolio of iconic venues that consistently reset the benchmark for what dining in Australia can feel like: energetic, design-led, culturally fluent and unapologetically ambitious.
As the founder and driving force behind the Lucas Restaurants group, Lucas transformed venues like Chin Chin, Kisumé, Yakimono and Grill Americano into institutions that shape the way people eat, socialise and experience their city. His signature is unmistakable: theatrical concepts, world-class interiors, deep respect for global cuisines, and a relentless focus on service and atmosphere.
Lucas is widely regarded as a master of brand-building — each restaurant crafted not just as a place to dine, but as a sensory, high-voltage experience that blends food, music, art, design and cultural storytelling. His influence extends beyond hospitality; he has helped define Melbourne’s identity as one of the world’s great dining capitals while continually pushing the industry forward with scale, innovation and vision.
Bold, instinctive and fiercely committed to excellence, Chris Lucas has become a symbol of what modern entrepreneurial hospitality looks like: ambitious, experiential, culturally connected and impossible to ignore.
In this exclusive feature profile by Rob Langton & Ready Media Group, Chris takes us on journey inside his World, from what drives his success to how he thinks about his legacy & everything in between.
The Interview - Australia's most watched business program, featuring exclusive profiles of the Nation's most successful individuals.
Founder & Host - Rob Langton
Proudly produced, licensed & distributed by Ready Media Group.
Further Information:
https://readymedia.com.au/
https://lucascollective.com/
#ausbiz #businessnews #chrislucas #lucascollective #readymediagroup #readymedia #selfmade #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #sydney #melbourne #hospitality
