Fabrizio Napolitano bought a one-way ticket to Hong Kong at 25 with no English, no contacts, and no idea what he was walking into.

What he built over the next 16 years (and what he lost) is one of the most honest accounts of hospitality ownership you'll hear.

We talk about his first restaurant in Hong Kong, the debt collectors calling at 3am, moving to New Zealand and opening Spiga, with a pavilion that got taken away a week after opening, a Cuisine hat followed immediately by making his whole team redundant, and why he now believes the numbers matter more than the food.

This one's raw, real, and essential listening for anyone who owns or wants to own a venue.

02:52 — Starting out at 14, washing dishes in Turin

05:17 — A one-way ticket to Hong Kong. No English, never flown before.

12:29 — Deciding to open in Hong Kong and why he wasn't ready

21:59 — The business bleeds money. Suppliers call the triads.

23:32 — His wife's ultimatum — and why it was already too late

39:59 — Opening Spiga, Covid, and the pavilion that got taken away after one week

51:32 — A Cuisine hat. The whole team redundant a week later.

62:24 — From worker to business owner. "You cannot buy yourself a job."

66:16 — "The numbers are more important than good food."

72:42 — Would he do it again?

Go support Spiga Restaurant next time you're in Auckland!

https://www.spiga.nz/

Follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spiga.nz/

Check out Overproof on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/overproofff/

Want to track your bars numbers? Get the Bar Maths Operations & Profitability Toolkit at: https://www.getbarmaths.com/

This week I sit down with Leah Dunnigan, Bar Manager at Savile Row in Brisbane; a bar that’s equal parts thousand-bottle whisky temple, high-volume cocktail machine, and late-night dance party. Leah’s story is wild: from anxious uni student with a stutter to Baxter Inn head bartender, Bar Planet AVM, and now the woman steering one of Australia’s most-loved bars... all while being a mum and a recent Bartender of the Year winner.

We talk about the real stuff: night shifts with a toddler, what supportive employers actually look like, the pressure to perform, burnout, sobriety resets, and why “silly” cocktails absolutely have a place on serious menus. It’s honest, energising, and very Leah.

• 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

  00:47 Leah's Journey into Hospitality

  02:21 Transition to High-End Bartending

  06:13 Balancing Motherhood and Career

  08:23 Challenges and Support in Hospitality

  15:51 Future Aspirations and Industry Challenges

  21:53 The Excitement of Hospitality

  22:38 Creative Drink Innovations

  26:51 Memorable Bar Experiences

  29:48 Handling Burnout in Hospitality

  31:36 Quickfire Questions and Fun Stories

  39:10 Leaving a Legacy in Hospitality

• This episode includes discussion of mental health, burnout, abusive dynamics, and sexual assault within the hospitality industry.

  • Find Leah at Savile Row, Brisbane

  • Keep an eye out for Leah’s upcoming conversation series

  • Follow Overproof and hit ★★★★★ on Spotify/Apple

  • Share the episode with a friend in hospo who needs permission to set a boundary

  Host: Sarah Dawn Mitchell — Overproof
  Guest: Leah Dunnigan — Bar Manager, Savile Row (Brisbane)
  

  Here’s to slowing down and still having fun behind the bar.

Join Johnny G and myself as we discuss what Club Suntory is doing for the community, educations and diversity.Then listen up! We are talking all things NZ Bar Con, Suntory has gone all in this year with 4 events!Sign up to the events atnzbarcon.comand sign up to Club Suntory atClub.suntory.com