Chris Lucas Launches Collective Foundation With La Trobe University

If there’s one thing Chris Lucas knows, it’s hospitality. From the iconic Chin Chin to the boundary-pushing Society and Yakimono, the Melbourne restaurateur has long been at the forefront of Australia’s dining scene.

Now, he’s taking that same energy beyond the kitchen with Collective Foundation, a not-for-profit dedicated to supporting the long-term, sustainable future of Australia’s hospitality industry.

Australia’s restaurant and hospitality scene is world-class. Dining out is an integral part of our cultural identity, and one of the top motivators for tourism.

The numbers speak for themselves: 56,000 restaurants and cafes, a $64 billion sector value, and 450,000 Australians employed. Even so, the industry's potential is often overlooked, especially by young people who don’t yet see it as a long-term career path.

Image credit: Lucas Collective | Instagram

The foundation’s mission is to build a stronger, more sustainable hospitality industry through education, innovation and inclusion. Their work will focus on four key priorities: promoting awareness of hospitality’s role in the national economy; encouraging innovation and sustainability across the value chain; fostering education and leadership opportunities for emerging professionals; and creating training pathways for those from regional and diverse backgrounds.

To kick things off, Collective Foundation has partnered with La Trobe University to conduct research and develop specialised education programs that will strengthen the industry’s professional pipeline.

Image credit: Lucas Collective | Instagram

It’s an initiative that reflects Lucas’s lifelong passion for the evolving role of restaurants within Australia’s social landscape—and a natural extension of the workplace culture his venues are known for.

As Lucas’s own group, Lucas Collective, continues to expand with more than 15 venues and 1,500 employees across Australia, the creation of The Collective Foundation marks a defining moment: an investment in people, ideas, and the future of Australian hospitality.

Whether you’re front-of-house, behind the bar, or dreaming of opening your own venue one day, Collective Foundation is shaping a more sustainable path for the next generation of hospo talent.

Main image credit: Collective Foundation | Supplied