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 profile, Michael Dempsey, Founder of Ezidebit shares his remarkable journey in building & scaling his global payments business prior to selling for $305m in 2014.
Michael Dempsey is a prominent Australian entrepreneur and investor, best known for founding Ezidebit, a leading payments processing company that revolutionized the way Australian businesses manage electronic transactions.
Starting in 1998, Michael leveraged his engineering background to create a scalable platform that rapidly gained traction in the market.
Ezidebit grew to become one of the most trusted names in payment solutions, processing billions of dollars annually.
In 2014, the company was acquired by Global Payments, marking a significant milestone in Michael’s career.
After his success with Ezidebit, Michael shifted his focus to investment through Pipeline Capital, his family office established to target high-growth industries, particularly fintech.
With his entrepreneurial expertise and a deep understanding of both technology and business operations, Michael now invests in innovative companies, helping them scale and thrive in competitive markets.
Throughout his career, Michael has shown a keen ability to identify market gaps, develop technology-driven solutions, and lead companies to success.
His journey from a tech startup founder to a respected investor demonstrates his vision, leadership, and commitment to fostering innovation in the Australian business landscape.
Founder & Host - Rob Langton
Produced exclusively by Ready Media Group.
https://readymedia.com.au/
https://pipecapital.com/
#ausbiz #businessnews #richlist #theinterviewau #readymedia
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
