Dali Zhu (Contern): Humans as the Measure
Dali Zhu, Mayor of Contern and entrepreneur in the restaurant sector, discusses his move from finance to hospitality, the development of his Kaito ramen brand, and his analytical approach to municipal governance.
Can you sum up your professional background in a few words?
I studied statistics and econometrics in Strasbourg, where I may have developed my taste for fine food and wine. I started my career at Spuerkeess as a risk manager, which was intellectually rewarding because I could put into practice what I had studied. Yet I chose a different path, because I realised I was more comfortable with people than with numbers and computers. I decided to move into hospitality because I was looking for a challenge. I certainly found that challenge with COVID, since I left finance during the first lockdown, when nobody knew when restaurants would reopen. The timing was particularly difficult because, unlike the second lockdown, which felt more predictable, the first left everyone wondering whether this was the end of the world. That experience taught me that financial planning remains crucial, but human relationships matter more in this sector.
“I was better suited to working with people than with numbers”
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How do you go from a family restaurant to running several establishments without solid partners behind you?
The key lies in the ability to detect what people need. When I worked at Spuerkeess, I would invite my colleagues to eat Chinese food, but they often refused, claiming everything tasted the same and lacked authenticity. This bothered me personally, because my parents owned a restaurant that had allowed our family to settle into Luxembourg after we arrived from China. I worked relentlessly for three years to understand what people were missing. Friends told me they loved the food during their trips to China, yet wondered why it tasted so different here. I identified the reasons, which came down to know-how, but today anyone can acquire that knowledge online and through training, provided they invest in it. This was the major change I brought to a restaurant that had operated for almost thirty years without evolving. That success gave me the confidence to develop my entrepreneurial spirit in the restaurant sector and, ultimately, to create the Kaito ramen brand.
How did you grow your business through franchising?
Franchising came out of necessity rather than ambition. While running Lao Tzu, my first restaurant, I understood the major problems the sector faces today, particularly around staff and labour. If I lost my head chef, I would lose half the menu. As a former risk manager, I recognised that this concentration risk could prove more devastating than financial risks. The person could fall ill, decide to seize other opportunities, or simply want a change. I needed a safer solution. Since I loved Japanese culture and manga as a teenager, and genuinely enjoyed ramen but could find no authentic option here, I spotted a market opportunity. I had missed the sushi trend, so I wanted to be part of the ramen one. Ramen offers great versatility, leaves room for creativity, and remains relatively simple to prepare with the right recipes and quality ingredients. This approach led to the creation of the Kaito brand, which now operates in Germany and plans to open further establishments.