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BIG, BOLD AND BRASH

Kristoffer Luczak, Director of Culinary Operations, City of Dreams and Crown Hotel & Casino Macau, discovers the difference between luxury hotels and luxury casinos and likes what he sees.

In terms of investment, intensity and returns, the casino business is a world of extremes. When I worked in hotels, we operated meetings, minutes and action plans on autopilot. Once I started my work at Crown Casino in Macau, I was thrown into a world of critical paths, high security and surveillance.  It was all very fast paced and demanding.

Here, my food and beverage operation is twice as large as the entire establishment where I previously worked, and things really are expected to happen at the speed of light.

Two main objectives

Compared to a normal hotel the casino operation has two main objectives.

The first is to maintain the customer’s happiness using all resources such as Food & Beverage, Spa, Entertainment, and Retail brands so they feel happy to gamble at your establishment.

The second is to focus on the profits and revenues to ensure you get a return on investment.

These objectives further highlight the differences between hotels and casinos. Whilst hotels strive to be timeless, casinos strive to constantly change and renew.

 Developing professionally

I have to say this is the most refreshing career move for me. It has escalated my professional development.  I used to work in first division hotels, at companies such as Dusit Thani, Oberoi, Raffles, Peninsula, Hyatt and Ritz Carlton. The Food & Beverage operation was the bread and butter of the business. I moved from this to a high octane, interactive business. The food and beverage revenue in the casino is triple that of a normal hotel. But when compared to the gaming revenue, it’s equivalent to the mini bar!

When competing with other casinos, ‘the game is the same’, but Food & Beverage is the point of differentiation. Casinos benchmark themselves with celebrities and awards. It has nothing to do with history. In terms of service, you might say that hardware and software are alike.

In terms of personnel, casinos accept the mavericks. In fact, they benefit from them. They don’t see this as a risk, but an investment to make a difference in this fast-paced world

Before joining I did hear some scary stories, such as they didn’t care about ‘the chef’. This turned out to be a misconception. Staff are extremely well looked after; their comfort and retention are priority. This is a company policy across all of our operations, not only in Macau but in Melbourne and Las Vegas too.

Macau is a really exhilarating experience.  It’s the future of hospitality. We’re breaking new frontiers. We’ve all heard about the casino operations of Monte Carlo, Las Vegas, Atlantic and Sun City, but Macau is a different beast: dynamic, quick and determined. I have noticed on the Cotai Strip professionals pouring in from around the world.  It’s such an exciting place.  Once here, you won’t look back!