The Story.

It started with Papa Zhao.

In 2015, Kristina Zhao came back to San Antonio for a few days to help her father open a restaurant. She is still here. What she found in that kitchen — the discipline, the care, the way food becomes the language of love when words fall short — became the foundation of everything that followed.

Sichuan House. A James Beard Fellowship. A Southtown garden called Secret Little Garden. And now Love You Long Time — a hospitality concept that carries all of it forward.

LYLT is not just an event company. It is a philosophy. Eastern precision and Western warmth. Culinary obsession and genuine human connection. The belief that every gathering — from a 200-person wedding to a Tuesday night mahjong game — deserves to be treated like it matters. Because it does.

We are a Ciao & Zen Hospitality Co. concept. A portion of every event benefits the Ciao & Zen Collective, our in-house mentorship program for culinary and hospitality talent.