Jonathan Zeman, the son of business tycoon Allan Zeman, was not entitled to be handed the job of 'Director, Chief Operating Officer' of Lan Kwai Fong Group (LKF) on a silver platter. Instead, he started working in an LKF restaurant as trainee back in 1998, and for several years afterwards performed various functions within the group to get the 'groundwork' done.
As COO, he has helped double the group's size in the past two years, spreading the 'Lan Kwai Fong' brand across China. With more projects in the pipeline, including the new California Tower to be opened next year, his job responsibilities have intensified. Here he talks about his career in the lighthearted manner of an entertainer.
What is the key to entertaining?
I think it should be a high-quality experience with a creative twist, be it a plate of food, a cocktail glass, or the way the staff talk to customers. Everyone can do things from a straight angle, but at LKF we do things from another angle, a little bit differently. LKF staff are always a little bit wacky.
Was that the plan, to join the family business?
To join the family business was my last choice. Because once you're in, there's no way out. When I returned to Hong Kong in 1998 [from the United States after finishing university] during the economic crisis, there were not many jobs available.