After surviving civil war in Croatia, Lana moved to London without intention of permanently leaving her country but life had different plans. After working in cafes and restaurants while studying at London college of fashion, Lana decided that her true passion was not fashion but acting. She auditioned at prestigious London drama schools landing a spot in three of them. But schools fees and living in London without working and only studying was proving not possible. Lana decided to open a summer business hoping it would make her enough money to pursue her acting dreams. And that’s how the Passion concept was born. I didn’t even know what the word concept meant at the time when people started telling me what an amazing concept Passion was upon opening as literally nothing as such concept existed in 2002.

All I did was create a place and menus with things that I love and have second passion for which was homemade healthy food and drinks.

Again life had other plans and Passion took Lana on another path away from her dream to get scripts thought her door and grace theatre stages or big screens. Passion as a word means sacrifice and sometime I feel like my real dream was sacrificed in order to keep going with Passion and keep inspiring people with healthy eating and healthy living, but also other businesses who saw Passion concept as ‘to do’. It was like the Universe was saying ‘you’ll be more useful doing that than being just another one walking the red carpet!’ laughs Lana.

Over the years I have been asked to open Passion in more locations around the world than I can remember, most of the time London, Amsterdam, Dubai…even Los Angeles and New York! Personally, I couldn’t see myself venturing to another city or on another continent. I was asked for franchise numerous times, something that I was never inclined to do, being sole owner of the company and already juggling many locations in Ibiza.

I didn’t want to create myself a worry what someone else would do with my brand abroad, I didn’t feel protected and ready to take that on. Nevertheless, that have cost me huge income and more of Passion domination.

That is not to say it is too late as there is still much interest in Passion going international. In the hands of the right company who will buy the Passion brand and its Ibiza locations, with intention to open Passions in locations outside Ibiza or franchise, means a very bright future for the brand and for the investor.

‘My path didn’t take me to fulfill my acting dream and to be on theater stage, but Passion become my stage to share, give and inspire, and a business with purpose. But now after almost 25 years in business I feel ready to embark on another adventure, some time for myself and some other life purpose as I do not think we only have one in life. Thus, I feel finally ready to let go and have right person or people continue with my and Passion legacy’.