Carla Sonia Lukacs: Passion, Entrepreneurship, and Growth in the Hospitality Industry

Discover the story of Carla Sonia Lukacs, a young entrepreneur in the hospitality industry who is growing Black Cock Coffee and creating authentic experiences through passion, perseverance, and genuine customer relationships.

Carla Sonia Lukacs is 21 years old and active in the hospitality industry, where she combines the entrepreneurial and operational aspects of the business. She owns the Black Cock Coffee franchise in Bucharest and serves as an Assistant Manager within her family’s restaurant, experiences that have provided her with a broad perspective on business management, interpersonal relationships, and the responsibility behind every decision. This year, she graduated from the American Hotel Academy in Brașov, an institution that strengthened her theoretical knowledge and complemented her practical experience in the field. She is a persevering, dedicated, and growth-oriented individual who strives to create authentic experiences and meaningful human connections in everything she does, rather than simply offering products or services.

Beyond her professional achievements, Sonia places great importance on family values and acknowledges the essential role her family has played throughout her journey. The unconditional support, trust, and opportunities provided by her loved ones have contributed significantly to her personal and professional development. She is deeply grateful for everything she has received over the years and believes that much of who she is today is the result of their constant encouragement and support.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in a single sentence that would capture the attention of someone who doesn’t know you?

Lukacs Sonia: I am a persevering and dedicated person who puts her heart into everything she does and never stops until she achieves the results she desires. I enjoy working with people, building relationships based on trust and respect, and always giving my very best. I am empathetic and approachable, yet at the same time fair and responsible, and whenever I commit to a goal, I dedicate myself fully to seeing it through.

C&B: Looking back, what is the “common thread” that has guided your professional journey?

Lukacs Sonia: Being at the beginning of my career, I cannot say that I have extensive professional experience, but my choices have always been influenced by my passion for this field. My parents work in the same industry, and from a young age I admired what they had built and wanted to follow their example. At the same time, I have always had the ambition to create my own path and build something of my own from the ground up. An important step was choosing to pursue a degree in this field, which helped me complement my practical experience with theoretical knowledge and develop both professionally and personally. Looking back, passion, the desire to learn, and the ambition to achieve something on my own have been the constants that guided my journey.

C&B: What was a difficult moment or a failure that truly changed you?

Lukacs Sonia: Being at the beginning of my journey, I cannot say that I have experienced a major failure that completely changed my path. However, a principle that has greatly influenced me comes from my mother, who taught me that you must always be prepared for unexpected situations and have the resources needed to overcome any difficulty. For this reason, I chose to start with a smaller business and a lower level of risk, allowing me to grow gradually, learn from experience, and build a solid foundation and a sense of security before taking bigger steps.

C&B: What is a bold (or counterintuitive) decision that significantly influenced your trajectory?

Lukacs Sonia: I believe that the boldest decision I have made so far was entering the hospitality industry, a field known for its challenges and for the fact that success largely depends on customers’ preferences and behavior, which can change very quickly. I was aware of the risks, but I chose to take on this challenge because I have confidence in the product I offer and in the value I can bring to the market.

C&B: How have you changed over time as a leader?

Lukacs Sonia: I used to think that being a “boss” was easy, but as I grew older and gained a better understanding of people, my perspective changed completely. I realized that it is very difficult to find and develop a trustworthy employee who works for your business as if it were their own, rather than simply out of necessity or without genuine interest. However, I believe these challenges can be improved over time through communication and involvement. I started having open conversations with people, understanding what both sides want, and working toward a mutual agreement so that the outcome is beneficial for both them and the business.

C&B: What do you think the people who work directly with you say about you—beyond your public image?

Lukacs Sonia: Based on my own observations and the feedback I have received from the people I work with, I am perceived as a warm-hearted person who is also fair and principled. This is something that is appreciated and helps me build strong relationships with my team. From this perspective, I believe they see me in a positive light. As for a more challenging aspect, I sometimes forget things, but this has become well known within the team, and my colleagues have learned to support me through clearer organization and task lists. In a way, this has also brought more structure and attention to the way we work together.

C&B: What truly sets you apart in the way you build or lead?

Lukacs Sonia: What sets me apart in the way I lead and build is the way I communicate and connect with the people on my team. I choose to give trust and receive it in return, creating relationships based on mutual respect. I strive to create an environment where people feel comfortable and involved, almost like a “home,” where they can work openly and with confidence. I am always willing to help and support my team, while at the same time maintaining clear boundaries, so that my kindness and commitment are not mistaken for weakness or taken advantage of.

C&B: How has the current context (technology, AI, economy) changed the way you work?

Lukacs Sonia: Technology and AI have a significant impact on the way we work, especially when it comes to growth and adapting to new developments. New equipment, solutions, ideas, and modern recipes are constantly emerging, helping us remain relevant and connected to market trends. In this context, I have become more attentive to innovation and to integrating these tools into the business, enabling me to consistently offer updated and competitive products.

C&B: What principles guide your most important decisions?

Lukacs Sonia: At this stage of my journey, where my business activity is primarily focused on events, one of the core principles that guides my decisions is profitability. I carefully analyze the balance between costs and potential returns before accepting a collaboration or participating in an event. For example, I was invited to a festival where the costs were extremely high: a substantial rental fee, a percentage of sales, and an additional POS commission. It was clear that the projected sales would not have covered these expenses, which is why I decided not to participate. Although such events are often said to provide visibility, I believe that promotion is not justified when the investment outweighs the actual benefit.

C&B: How do you see the evolution of your industry over the next 3–5 years?

Lukacs Sonia: Over the next 3–5 years, I aim to grow the business by expanding the number of units and reaching a point where I can operate them both at permanent locations and at events, increasing the brand’s visibility and overall business stability. I see significant growth opportunities in diversification and in maintaining a consistent presence across different types of locations. At the same time, one of the main challenges I foresee is the shortage of workforce, as it is becoming increasingly difficult to find people who are willing to work and, more importantly, to build a reliable and trustworthy team.

C&B: What role do you aim to play in this evolution?

Lukacs Sonia: I want to play an active role in this evolution by building a community around the brand, rather than simply operating a food truck where people make a purchase and move on. I want every interaction to be more than just a sale—to become an experience that brightens the day of those who meet us. My goal is for people to return not only for the product itself, but also for the atmosphere, the energy, and the way we make them feel in that moment.

C&B: What real advice would you give to someone who wants to build something meaningful today?

Lukacs Sonia: First and foremost, I believe it is essential to do something you genuinely enjoy, not just something that makes money, because when passion is missing, results come slowly and satisfaction is lacking. Secondly, I believe it is very important to work in the industry in which you want to build a business before starting on your own, so that you can understand from the inside how things work and what it is like to be in the role of an employee—an experience that helps you manage people more effectively later on. Lastly, patience is essential: nothing meaningful is built overnight, and results come over time through consistency and hard work.

C&B: What is an uncomfortable truth about your industry that few people talk about?

Lukacs Sonia: One truth that is rarely discussed about this industry is that customers come and go according to their preferences, and loyalty is difficult to build and even more difficult to maintain. Without customers, a business cannot exist, which is why consistently paying attention to them and avoiding disappointment is so important. Very often, the relationship with the customer matters more than the product itself, because a good coffee can be found almost anywhere, but the experience and the way you make people feel are not easily replaced.

Through ambition, perseverance, and an authentic approach to customer relationships, Carla Sonia Lukacs demonstrates that success in the hospitality industry is built step by step. Her story is an example of how passion, dedication, and genuine care for people can transform a simple business into a community and a brand with real impact.