Today we’d like to introduce you to Lucas Ketir.
Hi Lucas, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am originally French ! from Paris and my entire career has been shaped by the French approach to hospitality, built on elegance, precision, culture and the constant pursuit of excellence. Over the past fifteen years, I have grown in luxury restaurants and hotels across France, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Indonesia in Bali, Hong Kong, Miami and now San Diego. Each place taught me new skills and helped me understand hospitality at a deeper level.
People often ask why I chose San Diego with a global background like mine. The answer is very simple. I met my wife Gloria, who is from here, and three years ago I decided to move to San Diego for love and take on the challenge of making this city my new home.
Since arriving, I have had the opportunity to manage two major properties under CH Projects, Born and Raised and Seneca. Later on I became the General Manager of Wormwood in North Park. Leading Wormwood has been one of the highlights of my career. Together with the team, we elevated the restaurant into one of the finest experiences in the city, both in execution and in spirit.
Along this journey, I have been developing Bespoked, my hospitality education and consulting company. My mission is to help San Diego grow into one of the strongest hospitality cities in California and in the United States. I want to build training systems, leadership programs and educational products that uplift the next generation of employees, leaders and owners, while redefining the standards of hospitality, recognition, and connection’s. Hospitality is a beautiful career and I want to inspire people to build lives they are proud of within this industry.
San Diego has incredible potential and I am committed to helping shape its future, one team, one restaurant and one leader at a time.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The path has been beautiful, but it has definitely not been a smooth road. Working in luxury hospitality comes with a very unique kind of pressure. Training in a three Michelin star environment in Paris teaches you that excellence is not a choice. It is the standard. Every gesture, every detail, every second counts, and you learn very quickly that you cannot hide. That level of discipline can be intimidating, but it shaped me into the professional I am today.
Working for world class leaders such as Wolfgang Puck brought another level of responsibility. There is an expectation to perform at the very top every single day, to deliver consistency, and to honor the reputation of the house. These experiences pushed me far beyond my comfort zone and forced me to grow fast.
Living in seven different countries also came with its own challenges. Every move meant starting from zero, adapting to a new culture, understanding a new team, adjusting to different guest expectations and proving myself all over again. It taught me humility, emotional intelligence and the ability to connect with people from any background. But it was not always easy. Being new in every environment means you must constantly reinvent yourself, learn quickly and show your value without ever losing your identity.
Another challenge has been learning how to communicate my message and inspire others in a way that actually creates change. I believe in a culture built on love, care, respect and the pursuit of excellence. I believe in attention to detail, in making the ordinary extraordinary and in creating unforgettable memories for guests. Sharing this vision and trying to elevate teams in every country took a lot of patience, courage and leadership.
Today, my mission is bigger than me. I want to make a positive impact on the cities I work in by promoting human connection, creating better work environments and helping young talents believe in themselves. Many of them doubt their potential because they did not grow up with confidence or opportunities. I want to be a voice for them and show them that their dreams are possible when they have the right values, the right principles and the right mentors.
The challenges along the way have shaped my purpose. They remind me why I do what I do and why I want to keep building a better future for this industry and the people in it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work focuses on transforming restaurants and elevating every part of the operation. I specialize in building world class teams, strengthening culture, creating systems that work and raising standards to a level that delivers excellence every day. I am very competitive by nature, so I push the teams I work with to operate at the highest possible level, both operationally and financially. I have spent years leading some of the finest restaurants in the world and I bring that experience into every project I touch.
I work closely with chefs, owners and leadership teams to refine menus, create signature moments and design unforgettable guest experiences. I also oversee training, educate teams on the fundamentals of hospitality and implement strong structures that support quality, consistency and growth. My goal is always the same. Build a team that performs together with pride and intention and create an environment where guests feel something special the moment they walk through the door.
What I am most proud of today is the impact I have on people. After mastering the operational and financial side of this business, my mission is to give back and help the next generation rise. I want to teach young professionals the values, principles and fundamentals that truly matter. Not the easy way, but the right way. The hospitality world is evolving and guests have higher expectations than ever, so we need leaders who understand quality, culture and emotional intelligence.
Through Bespoked, I am creating educational programs, courses and books designed to elevate teams, develop leaders and help restaurants reach their full potential. I want to guide others so they can build strong businesses, strong cultures and strong teams, and so they can proudly carry this industry into the future.
What sets me apart is my global background, my Parisian hospitality foundation and my ability to bring people together around a common vision. I know how to take a restaurant from good to exceptional and how to shape teams that perform with heart, discipline and unity. This is the work I love and the work I am committed to continue.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is the power of human connection. My love language has always been the act of service. I thrive when I give, when I care and when I can make someone feel something meaningful. Recognition has become the new luxury in our world, and this is what I try to teach every day. I consider myself an artist and my canvas is the experience I create for people. On paper, we are only serving food and drinks, but in reality we are offering something much deeper.
Hospitality gives us the opportunity to heal people. A kind gesture, a sincere smile, a thoughtful detail or a moment of genuine attention can change the way someone feels. We are not doctors in the traditional sense, but emotionally, we have the same power. We can lift spirits, bring comfort, create joy and remind people that they matter. This is what I love about this industry and why I am so committed to elevating it.
Too many businesses today are transactional. You order, you pay and you leave. I want to bring back the human element. Making someone feel unique, seen, valued and understood has become a passion of mine. In my day to day management, this is exactly what I teach and this is how I turn restaurants into world class operations. When a team understands the value of love, care and recognition, everything changes. Service becomes an art, the ambiance feels alive and the guest experience becomes unforgettable.
With Bespoked, I now have a platform that allows me to pass on this philosophy to the next generation. I want young professionals to understand the superpower they have inside themselves. When they use it with intention, generosity and selflessness, they can uplift people around them and bring communities together. In a world that is becoming more individualistic, hospitality can remind us of the beauty of togetherness.
What matters most to me is teaching people how to create magic. Not only for guests, but also for each other. This is how we make our cities stronger and our industry more meaningful.
Pricing:
- Many prices based on services and products.
- Substack is $8 per month
- Consulting vary from 280 per hour to 15999 for full revemp
- E books and courses are between 19.99-89.99
- Personal Coaching hour 199
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bespokedhospitality.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohohnarvalow/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lucas.NarvalOw/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucasketir/
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/@LucasKetir
- Other: https://lucasketir.substack.com/
