The Lucas Group, which manages Melbourne’s hugely popular Thai restaurant, Chin Chin, has welcomed two key personnel to head up its expansion into Sydney in August this year.
With a CV line-up including Quay, Black by Ezard, Bistro Guillaume (Melbourne) and a decade as general manager of Guillaume at Bennelong, Craig Hemmings has been appointed general manager, Chin Chin Sydney. Hemmings most recent role was as group operations director of the Red Door Management Group in Singapore.
Joining Hemmings is Chris Matters, group general manager of operations at The Lucas Group. Working across the group’s entire portfolio of venues, Matters will oversee the rollout and management of Chin Chin Sydney, as well as recruitment.
Matters’ 20-plus years of hospitality experience began at MG Garage with Janni Kyritsis and includes time at London’s River Caf, Bodega and Porteno; senior management roles with Merivale, and QT Hotels and Resorts where he was director, food and beverage.
Hemmings and Matters join Chin Chin’s general manager of wine, Philip Rich and long-time Melbourne executive chef, Benjamin Cooper, who will oversee the Chin Chin Sydney menu direction alongside a soon-to-be appointed executive chef.
Matters and Hemmings
Chris Lucas founder of The Lucas Group said “We all know great restaurants are run by people who have hospitality running through their veins and we believe we have the start of a really great team, particularly with these guys who already have runs on the board in Sydney. I’ve known Craig for many years and am super excited to be working alongside him and Chris.”
Chin Chin Sydney, located in the Griffith Teas building, a 100-year-old heritage building on Goulburn Street, Surry Hills, is slated to open August 2017.