Inside the rise of Adelaide’s Bar King, Jon Di Pinto

He dumped uni but landed a job with Jock Zonfrillo – and despite almost calling it quits, he’s now the man behind the Adelaide bars celebrities head to.

He’s the man behind some of Adelaide’s most popular bars and nightclubs, but Jon Di Pinto credits Australian chef Jock Zonfrillo with fostering his love for hospitality.

Di Pinto was just 22, and a university dropout, when he got a job behind the bar at Zonfrillo’s Rundle St hotspot, Street ADL, in 2013.

“Jock was an amazing person. We got along really well, me and Jock. I think he always had a soft spot for me,” said De Pinto of the beloved MasterChef judge, who died in April this year.

“His team was like his family so you felt like you were really part of something.

“I think that’s what inspired me so much to keep growing within the industry. That’s where my passion came from.”

Fast forward a decade and De Pinto, 32, is part of a new breed of entrepreneur who’s helping revitalise the city’s late-night bar scene.

Adelaide Bar King Jon Di Pintos inside one of his most popular ones, Shotgun Willie’s. Picture: Matt Turner

After launching Solomon St dive bar Cry Baby on his own in 2018, he co-founded hospitality business Gonzo Group in 2020 alongside Sean Howard and Michael Keough.

The trio soon opened country-themed watering hole Shotgun Willie’s and basement blues bar Memphis Slim’s in 2021.

They added Hahndorf tacqueria and bar El Camino to their portfolio last year, and recently announced plans for two more venues, including the reopening of iconic Rundle St nightclub Sugar next month.

Jock Zonfrillo pictured at his former restaurant Orana in 2014. Picture: Matt Turner

“It’s a lot of fun but it’s a lot of hard work. Everyone has these ideas about what it’s like to own your own bar … I absolutely love what I do and I wouldn’t change it for the world. But it’s not easy,” said Di Pinto, who was born and raised in Adelaide.

“For so long, owning bars and pubs just happened when you were over 50 years old. That was the norm. Now it’s easier for younger people.”

Di Pinto said his formula for success is simple: venues that cater for a broad demographic and importantly, keeping your doors are open when others are closed.

“Being a bar that stays open til 2am, seven days a week … you just become known as that place that’s always open – rain, hail or shine. That’s something that we focused on at the start,” he said.

“So if people want somewhere to go on a Monday night, for whatever reason, they know where to go.”

Word of mouth spread quickly, according to Di Pinto, first among Adelaide’s partygoers who were thirsty for a late-night bar experience, followed by a growing number of visiting celebrities and rock stars.

Among the big names who have enjoyed a drink at their venues include Hollywood actor Zac Efron, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queens of the Stone Age and Arctic Monkeys.

“The hype just grew and it’s blown up. Some massive acts have come through but we don’t know how it happens. They just rock up,” Di Pinto said.

“The Monkeys stayed on after we shut (at Cry Baby) and had a few drinks with the staff. It was really cool.”

Zac Efron at Cry Baby in 2020. Picture: Annabel Renfrey

Of course, keeping their doors open proved impossible during the pandemic.

Di Pinto admitted the repeated restrictions and lockdowns left he and his team contemplating calling it quits.

“It was crippling. It was so frustrating, we kept going backwards … we started to think maybe we have to look into another job, it was that bad,” he said.

But things turned around just in time for the St Ignatians old scholar, who employs over 40 staff members across his businesses – a number which is set to expand.

Sugar is Gonzo Group’s most exciting project yet, teaming up with the club’s founder, Driller Jet Armstrong, to bring the East End institution back to its former glory. It all kicks off with a massive opening night party on December 1 featuring Brooklyn producer and DJ Joe Claussell.

“Driller will take care of the music, we’ll run the bar. It’s a match made in heaven. I think it’s going to be great for the area,” Di Pinto said.

Then there’s the upcoming “extension” of Cry Baby. They’ve taken over the space occupied by neighbouring laneway bar 1000 Island, and will revive the yet-to-be-named venue, which will connect with Cry Baby through an opening in the wall.

Jon Di Pinto inside Cry Baby in 2018. Picture: Dean Martin

Di Pinto is also behind new music festival Cry Baby Fest, headlined by Aussie rockers Dune Rats and Gyroscope, at the Adelaide Gaol on November 25.

And if that wasn’t enough, there’s another venue in the works for early next year, potentially in the East End, which Di Pinto said will be his “biggest and most polished” yet.

“This has been a massive growth year for us,” he said modestly.

After well over a decade of late nights and loud music, getting away from the city has become important to Di Pinto.

A couple of years ago, he and his partner, Kat Romeo – whom he met at Shotgun Willie’s – bought a home in Ashton in the Adelaide Hills, on a property with 2000 cherry trees.

“I didn’t know a thing about cherry trees but lucky enough Kat’s dad knows a thing or two so he’s helping us out. Otherwise I’d be in a bit of trouble,” he laughed.

“We are committed to staying here, there are no plans to go interstate. We might dabble in more festivals, but we’ve got enough going on here. We aren’t going anywhere.”

Originally published as Inside the rise of Adelaide’s Bar King, Jon Di Pinto