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
In this exclusive feature profile, we sit down with one of Australia’s most enduring and visionary entrepreneurs — Malcolm Steinberg.
Born and raised in Perth in the 1940s, Malcolm’s entrepreneurial journey began at just 18 years old, when he acquired 21 pinball machines from a relative and began placing them in corner stores, milk bars, and pubs across the city.
That humble venture marked the beginning of what would become a pioneering career in the world of interactive entertainment.
In 1978, Malcolm launched the first Timezone in downtown Perth — a bold move that would ultimately redefine family entertainment across the Asia-Pacific.
Over the decades, Timezone grew from a single arcade into a global entertainment powerhouse, with venues in Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
Along the way, Malcolm also founded LAI Games, a Perth-based arcade game manufacturer that has produced some of the world’s most iconic and innovative machines — exporting to over 50 countries worldwide.
But his legacy doesn’t stop at business.
In honour of his grandmother, a Russian immigrant and early inspiration, Malcolm established the Malka Foundation — a philanthropic venture focused on empowering young people and supporting social enterprise across Australia.
In this conversation, we explore the full arc of Malcolm’s journey: from his early days in suburban Perth, to building Timezone into a generational brand, to giving back through the Malka Foundation.
Along the way, he shares lessons on reinvention, risk, and building businesses that endure.
The Interview | Australia's most watched business program.
Founder & Host | Rob Langton
Produced & distributed exclusively | Ready Media Group.
Further Information:
https://readymedia.com.au/
https://www.lai.com.au/
#ausbiz #businessnews #richlist #malcolmsteinberg #theinterviewaustralia
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
