Episode Overview – Turn Setbacks into a Cocktail Bar Win
In this Restaurant Talk episode, host Susan Tung chats with Anton Kinloch about fast-tracking the launch of Lone Wolf after losing a prior lease, building cocktail culture in a meat-and-potatoes town, tightening costs during tariff spikes, and empowering staff to innovate. Operators will pick up actionable tips for your restaurant or cocktail bar on SEO, daily inventory discipline, and fry-oil management—all in about 30 minutes.
Tariffs soon hiked liquor costs 25 – 30 percent, so Anton doubled down on daily inventory counts, cross-utilized trim, and let CIA culinary students craft zero-waste specials. Front-of-house creativity blossomed too, with bar-backs learning recipe development and round-building. Meanwhile, host Susan shared how a Frylow device from savefryoil.com keeps her own fryers efficient, illustrating how smarter fry-oil management can yield real savings in any commercial kitchen or cocktail bar.
Key Takeaways
- Opened new venue in 60 days by prioritizing critical systems first
- Daily inventory and staff-designed specials curb waste and boost margins
- Responsive DMs and stories power SEO + social discovery for tourists
- Cocktail education plus Pan-Asian shareables overcome price-sensitivity
- Frylow slashes oil spend, supporting long-term fry-oil savings strategy
Memorable Quotes
“Being accessible online is the fastest way to start building trust.” — 06:52
“The first sign of burnout is when you stop caring about the little things.” — 19:18
“I’ll let you make mistakes on my dime—just give me 110 percent effort.” — 28:45
Bios & Links
Susan Tung – Restaurateur with years of experience in the food and beverage industry. She currently owns Hanoi House, a Vietnamese restaurant, and previously owned a Japanese restaurant. Susan also runs Electric City Catering and hosts the Table 13 podcast. Follow her on Instagram: @susantung
Anton Kinloch – Co-owner of Lone Wolf Kingston in Kingston, NY, a cocktail lounge and Pan-Asian kitchen celebrated for its award-winning Zombie tiki cocktail—recognized nationally as one of the best renditions of this rum classic.
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