“I am always on the lookout for opportunities that make good business sense”: Lalin Jinasena

Lalin Michael Jinasena 

Q: Why did you move away from the family business?

A: When I returned from university I started working in the garments side of the family business and then also in the hotels division. We owned two hotels in Giritale called ‘The Deer Park’ and ‘Royal Lotus Hotel’. I gained a lot of experience there and was also instrumental in bringing the Banyan Tree group to Sri Lanka to manage Deer Park. After working for a number of years I realised that in order to work on my vision and bring my ideas to reality I would have to do it on my own. Working in the family business was of course the easy and cushy option, but I wanted the challenge of creating my own group of companies that would reflect my vision. My father was very supportive of this and he backed me. He was all along the chairman of my group and my mentor. 

Q: What are the companies that come within the ‘LMJ Group’?

A: LMJ Group is now branded as ‘Lalin & Co’. I have three hotels – ‘Casa Colombo Collection’ Hotels in Colombo and Mirissa, and the new hotel brand I opened late last year called ‘Juce Hotels’ with the first property in Ambalangoda. I have a manufacturing company called ‘Almeco Ltd.’, which I inherited from the division of the Jinasena group, which manufactures aluminium components for export. ‘Gonuts with Donuts’ is the fast food arm, under which I have the ‘Chop Chop Kottu’ brand and I also operate the ‘Elephant House Hot Dog’ franchise at Odel and a newly started hot dog delivery operation. 

‘Lalin Design’ is my Interior and Building Design studio where I carry out design services for clients. ‘Lalin Villas’ is a property development company, which is mostly in the villa and beach property market. ‘Lalin Gallery’ is my photography studio where I currently retail my photographs at Odel, Barefoot and other locations. ‘SPACE’ is the new contemporary furniture retail store I am opening this month at town hall. 

Q: What was the first project that the ‘LMJ Group’ embarked upon?

A: I started an adventure company called ‘Mahout Club’ located at the Deer Park Hotel. While the hotel was being operated by Banyan Tree, they needed a service provider to carry out wildlife and archaeology excursions for their guests. Mahout Club was created to provide a really superior service with highly skilled guides who were qualified naturalists and archaeologists who gave our guests not just a sightseeing tour but educated them on what they were seeing in the jungles, and created unique experiences for them which were highly valued. 

Q: What was the single most important piece of business advice your father gave you?

A: Whatever you do, do it with integrity and honour. 

Q: You are an entrepreneur having diversified greatly into other areas which are not linked to your family business – which is your favourite business to date and why is it so?

A: I cannot say that I have any one favourite business, I like them all; even the ones that didn’t work out. I enjoy the creative process, of coming up with an idea and bringing it to reality. That being said ‘Lalin Design’ does give me a lot of pleasure because I really enjoy creating, be it houses, hotels, interiors, furniture. Each client’s job is different and presents different challenges on a daily basis, so it keeps my creative energy flowing.  

Q: The multi award winning CASA Colombo is unique; do you propose opening a similar establishment in Colombo city? 

A: I feel that Colombo is becoming oversaturated with hotels, and there are more hotels in the pipeline to be opened. Having brand name hotels in the city is a great thing as it puts Colombo more on the global map. However more has to be done for Colombo as a destination to not only increase the arrivals, but turn it around from being a one night stop over to a global City destination. This requires a proper tourism master plan with a visionary head of tourism, and the backing of the government to see it through. Colombo needs to create attractions, attract events, global trade fairs and conferences, and create entertainment that tourist visitors seek. That being said, I am always on the lookout for locations and opportunities that would make good business sense. If I feel there is potential I may look at another hotel in Colombo. 

Q: Who or what lay behind your inspiration for CASA?

A: I cannot say that there was any person or place that inspired Casa Colombo. It was just an idea that I had to create a totally unique hotel by blending a characteristic colonial building with an edgy chic design and a type of service that was not being done. It was very risky especially for a hotel in Sri Lanka, but it worked out and gained a lot of recognition from publications and award institutions around the world. 

Q: You have made the humble donut a household name; what made you venture in this direction?

A: I realised that there was no dedicated donut bakery in Sri Lanka, and felt it was a niche in the market that I could get into. I tried looking at international franchises, but found that with the fees and costing, the product price would make it inaccessible to the mass market. So I created my own brand, and my own recipes, manufacturing techniques and flavours, which I felt would appeal to the local market and opened the first store at Odel. 

Q: How is Chop Chop Kottu doing?

A: It is very popular, and from the food outlets at Odel I believe it is one of the most popular. Our delivery of Kottu is also gaining wide popularity. Chop Chop Kottu is an area where I see many growth possibilities. 

Q: What are Lalin Design’s current projects and is interior design something that is taken seriously in Sri Lanka?

A: Many of my projects in Sri Lanka are residential and hotel projects. I believe as the middle class of Sri Lanka grows the focus changes from having a home, to having a beautiful home. And many people don’t know where to start when it comes to this – what colours to go with, what flooring to have and what furniture goes with what. So yes interior design is a growing need and is definitely taken seriously. What many people don’t realise is that they spend money on getting a beautiful building designed that looks nice on the outside. 

However for the rest of your life, you will spend all of your time inside that building. This is where the most amount of emphasis should be put in creating a sublime, peaceful atmosphere on the inside that give you peace and good energy. When I design buildings, I do so from the inside out. So while they would look unique from the outside, the most important fact is how it makes you feel living on the inside. I also have a number of clients and projects overseas, mostly hotels and villa projects currently in India and the Maldives. 

Q: At what stage is ‘Lalin Gallery’ and how do you see this progressing in the future?

A: Another of my passions has been photography. I have been doing this from a very young age and have progressed into quite specific genres like macro. ‘Lalin Gallery’ is my photography brand, and I currently retail my photographs at Odel and Barefoot in the form of matted prints and postcards mostly for tourists. However with SPACE store opening I will have all of my photographs for sale in various framing options that are ideal for decorating homes and retail venues. My portfolio spans from wildlife to landscapes, portraits, macro, architectural and abstract photography. Photography is a passion that gives me great pleasure and peace. 

Q: Do you have plans to open anymore hotels out of Colombo?

A: Yes. And I am working on plans with various partners and stakeholders. 

Q: When will you Spa be open?

A: Rishi spa, which is my own brand, was opened over a year ago at both my Colombo and Mirissa hotels. We have Indonesian therapists and have created treatments and products that embody Sri Lankan healing elements and ingredients. 

Q: Do you find that hiring staff for your many diverse business ventures is a problem?

A: Yes it is a huge problem. The brain drain in Sri Lanka is something that affects many businesses, especially the hospitality industry. 

Q:  What are the problems you have encountered vis a vis carrying on and opening up your many businesses in Sri Lanka?

A: Sri Lanka’s market and spending power are still limited, and growth is relatively slow. If you compare us with a country like Singapore whose population is just 6 Million, the gap in retail spending power, and wealth creation is staggeringly different. Where does growth come from – it comes from attracting investment into the country to create businesses that generate income, create jobs and thereby create wealth. When you look at local and foreign investment, one of the key things investors look for is policy stability. 

More than political stability, they want to know that when the parliament passes a ruling, or when certain policies are put in place that they will remain intact without adhoc changes. Growth can be achieved by having a clear long-term vision and plan for the country that encompasses all of the objectives that the country wants to achieve in one goal set. These objectives should include how to properly brand and position Sri Lanka as a tourism destination, how to brand and promote Sri Lanka’s export industries, and brand and promote Sri Lanka as an investment destination.  There has to be a cohesive culture where all ministries and government departments are part of the plan and pointed in one direction with the aim of achieving these goals, instead of different departments pulling in different directions with their own agendas. Singapore’s rise with Lee Kuan Yew’s leadership is a good example. 

I also think that the Government should look at ways of providing assistance to SMEs and entrepreneurs wanting to start a new business. Provide knowledge assistance, soft loans and capex refunds, connect startups with investors, and provide incentives to help them get off the ground. The more businesses start, the more wealth creation takes place. Once again taking Singapore as an example, their government body called ‘Spring’ does so much to help small businesses and could be an example to us. 

Q: With regards to your latest venture ‘Space’, what made you venture in to an already crowded area? 

A: From being an avid furniture enthusiast and also in my interior design work for clients at ‘Lalin Design’, I have found there is a lack of truly stylish contemporary furniture and décor pieces in the market. Most of the shops carry similar and tired styles of furniture, which are simple designs. It is hard to find something stunning or unique. At the very top end you have international branded furniture that costs literarily in the Millions of Rupees and are only affordable to a handful. 

My aim with SPACE is to bring a large selection of stylish, contemporary furniture to Sri Lanka that is affordable. At the same time to have a store that actually has stocks of the products, so you don’t just see a dummy product on display or in a catalogue, and have to wait two months to get one made, you can have it then and there. The furniture is ideal for homes and also for restaurants, cafes, hotels, and offices. Furniture is complimented with selective glass décor pieces, beautiful area rugs, unique light fittings, beautiful mirrors, and photographs (my own). We will also be having Wedding and Homecoming gift registries. The store has been designed in such a way to take you on a journey through different aspects of a home, from statement chairs to living room sets, dining sets, bedrooms and even some outdoor pieces. The sales staff will also be able to advise clients on decorating their space. 

Q: Would you ever consider manufacturing your own furniture here? 

A: In the past I have been manufacturing furniture that I have custom designed, especially for the hotel projects. For SPACE however I decided to start off by importing furniture, which would give my customers a wide selection to get the business off the ground. To be able to manufacture the type of furniture I have got down for SPACE would be impossible in Sri Lanka at the current time. The facilities and knowhow just isn’t there to be able to achieve the price points and finishes. 

However, in the future I do hope to introduce my own brand of furniture, which I will retail at the SPACE Store. For the moment, I will be retailing my photographs that go under the brand ‘Lalin Gallery’, and these will be available for sale at SPACE in loose prints and framed prints. 

Q: Sri Lanka was once famed for its furniture and craftsmanship. Have we lost out here? 

A: Yes I believe we have. Our furniture craft got stuck somewhere in the 1940s and if you look at Moratuwa and what is made there it is the same type of furniture that has been made for decades. We have not really progressed with new styles, new materials and techniques. Most of the furniture that is made in Sri Lanka is heavily wood based and basic in its manufacturing techniques, while modern furniture has moved on and you rarely see so much wood. If you compare with countries like China or Indonesia, today they make the furniture for all the European brands, and they have gleaned that knowledge and trade craft and are now creating their own contemporary style of furniture. 

Q: Would you consider opening a hotel overseas? 

A: Yes absolutely. If the opportunity arises I would. 

Q: What are your future business plans?

A: SPACE is the new project and I am working on, and I will be expanding on that. I am also working on some entertainment venue projects that are still in the planning stage. I am also looking to grow the JUCE Hotels brand, since this hotel chain has a strong brand identity, product acceptance and growth potential.