Hospo CheckIn: Iain Ling

Hospo CheckIn had a chat to Iain Ling from The Lincoln and Super Ling in Carlton a few days ago. 

Things are changing all the time as we know, we’ll check in with him again in the weeks to come but this is where he was at last week. 

1. What are you up to at the moment? 

Busy! I’ve been on the phone working out our legal rights and obligations. 

With each announcement, each change you have to process on a personal level and then talk to landlords, staff, the bank, everyone. 

It would have been better to have had more warning on the lockdown but what can you do? 

2. What are the positives you hope will come from all of this? 

What  you’ll see is the industry rallying – like in the bushfires – massive rallying and connecting. 

Not all of us are going to make it we just have to help each other. 

So, we talk to our staff, to other restaurant staff, to our suppliers. What we’ve got to do is keep everyone informed. As everyone says, it’s like nothing we’ve seen before.

We’ve literally turned the tap off on the economy. Nobody knows what  to do, how to manage this. Laws aren’t written for this, there’s no language around it. 

But we will work together. 

3. How are you, your family and your team? 

I’m a stay-at-home dad now! 

We’ve made hampers from the stock  in the pub kitchen for the staff to take home. 

Super Ling is doing takeaway but the pub is going into hibernation.

We’ll be ok.

Interview: March 30