Dali Zhu (Contern): From Risk Manager to Ramen Entrepreneur

Dali Zhu, Mayor of Contern and entrepreneur in the restaurant sector, talks about his transition from finance to hospitality, the development of his Kaito Ramen brand and his analytical approach to municipal governance.

Can you briefly introduce your professional background?

I studied statistics and econometrics in Strasbourg, which is perhaps where I developed my taste for gastronomy and wine. I began my career at Spuerkeess as a risk manager, which was intellectually rewarding as I could put into practice what I had studied. However, I chose another path because I realised I was more comfortable with people than with numbers and computers. I decided to move into the hospitality and restaurant industry because I was looking for a challenge. I certainly found that challenge with COVID, as 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 was more predictable, the first left everyone wondering whether it was the end of the world. This experience taught me that financial planning remains crucial, but human relationships matter more in this sector.

I realised I was more comfortable with people than with numbers and computers.

How do you go from a family restaurant to managing several establishments without strong partners behind you?

The key lies in the ability to identify what people need. When I worked at Spuerkeess, I would invite my colleagues to eat Chinese food, but they often declined, saying everything tasted the same and lacked authenticity. This bothered me personally, because my parents owned a restaurant that had allowed our family to integrate 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 when travelling in China, but wondered why it tasted so different here. I identified the reasons, which came down to know-how, but today this knowledge can be acquired online and through training if you invest in it. This represented the major change I brought to a restaurant that had been operating for nearly 30 years without evolving. This success gave me the confidence I needed to develop my entrepreneurial spirit in the restaurant sector and, ultimately, to create the Kaito ramen brand.

How did you develop your business through franchising?

Franchising was born of necessity rather than ambition. While running Lao Tzu, my first restaurant, I understood the major problems the sector faces today, particularly staffing. If I lost my 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.

I had loved Japanese culture and manga as a teenager, and I genuinely enjoyed ramen, but I could not find an authentic option here. That was 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.