When you are the manager of the Ivy Pool Club, and are hosting to the likes of Leonardo Dicaprio and Busta Rhymes, you think you've done it all. But for Jared, his business minded motivation wanted more out of life; which led to some of Sydneys most highly regarded venues that we all know and love. One of Jared Merlino’s first jobs was being Kitchen hand at a gentlemans club owned by his sister called Minx. He skimmed over his time there mentioning that his stories were probably not for ‘Public consumption’. But this high life that he lived didn’t stop there. Jared finished a Business Management degree at UTS and went on to work for the Merivale company, managing the Wynyard Hotel, before heading up to become the Manager of the new and exclusive Ivy Pool Club. This was a big deal for Jared, being able to look after such a fresh, and bougie venue that had the attention of big International celebrities. But for Jared, it was the learning curve of looking after businesses such as the Wynyard Hotel and Ivy Pool Club, that led him to opening up his own venues such as The Lobo in 2013. In 2016, Jared opened up both Kittyhawk and Big Poppa’s within the week of each other, which is something he never planned, but the deal for both were too good to pass up. His latest project, Bartolo was a side-step for his venues, being the first to showcase delicious Italian food and drinks. Right now, due to covid, only The Lobo and Big Poppas are open, with Bartolo re-opening November 27th and Kittyhawk, will re-open to the public in the future, but a specific time is yet to be confirmed. I would like to note that Roots Podcast is proudly supported by the Australian Good Food Guide. A hospitality guide that started in 1977 and still continues to rate and support restaurants ever since. Music by Charlie Fester Go and follow @rootsforaging on Instagram for the latest guest news and soundbites.