Learn a few lessons from Frank Antonetti about owning a bar from a nightlife perspective
Sitting down with Frank Antonetti who used to actually play in a pretty known band, even touring and playing Warped Tour! But what happens as we get older and haven’t quite cut it in that lane? – Well, we grab some friends and open up a music venue. Fast forward a few years and Rust & Gold is born in Long Island, New York. Huntington has a vibrant night life community and Frank found a way to polish an old bar and give it a fresh take.
The Businesses
The first of three ventures, Rust & Gold has existed for the last 8 years. As Frank and his partners took over a local bar that had seen better days, the first thing the team did was open up the walls and add garage doors to the venue to showcase beautiful natural light.
As business began to ramp up and the pandemic unfolded, the team purchased a Box Truck to distribute beer and fill growlers through the pandemic. News flash, it was stolen. Version 2 of this truck is Rolling Gold, a beautiful bright red Chevy that is equipped with tap lines around the side. Rust & Gold feeds the catering operation in part.
Near simultaneously the 1653 Pizza Kitchen opened next door as a venue opportunity opened up. Quite different from the Sports Bar concept that Rust & Gold is, the pizza kitchen is dim lit and wonderful for date night. We didn’t crawl into that venue as deeply though.
The Long Island Bartenders League
We want to do cool things. I think that’s what most bar teams, owners, and creatives enjoy. The Bartenders League was a way to bridge and celebrate the community through Long Island. USBG doesn’t have a chapter on Long Island, Frank Antonetti has dabbled with the idea of contributing a bigger picture idea.
There’s only so many hours in a day to progress. With this, there’s ideas floating around and not enough time.
Community Building
The major highlight and theme through this Waiting on Fries episode is giving back to the community. People aren’t stupid – they can tell when something is a cash grab versus an actual service being provided.
With a goal of seeing Huntington build, Frank is here for the long haul with the intention to bridge the like minded together.