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[00:00:00] very excited about this next guest, [00:00:01] Frankie Biano. He's the general manager [00:00:04] for of the Zoo Sports Club in Tampa, [00:00:07] Florida. And uh he went viral, not by [00:00:11] any choice of his, but just because the [00:00:13] way he handled himself. I thought it was [00:00:15] brilliant. Let's play the clip and then [00:00:16] we'll bring in Frankie. 307. [00:00:19] >> Why aren't you playing Bad Bunny at the [00:00:21] halftime show? [00:00:23] >> Because I put this halftime show on. [00:00:25] >> Because this is what the majority Are [00:00:26] you filming me? [00:00:27] >> You're filming me? Why are you doing [00:00:30] >> Why didn't you play bad? [00:00:31] >> Because the majority I'm going to pay [00:00:32] out. I'm going to pay first. [00:00:34] >> This is why [00:00:34] >> I got to pay. [00:00:35] >> This is why I said no. [00:00:36] >> I got to pay first. But I'm asking a [00:00:38] question. You're not being violent. You [00:00:40] >> cash out. I'll pass out. [00:00:41] >> Yeah. I got to pay first. I shouldn't [00:00:43] pay [00:00:44] for the full experience. [00:00:46] The Super Bowl experience. [00:00:48] >> The full Super Bowl experience. [00:00:49] >> This is the half time show. [00:00:50] >> This is not the halftime show. [00:00:51] >> It is the halftime show. [00:00:52] >> No, this is not. [00:00:53] >> It's called the halftime show. [00:00:55] >> I'm going to put this on my social [00:00:56] media. [00:00:56] >> There you go, buddy. Good. [00:00:58] >> All right. [00:01:01] >> You have You might lose a lot of [00:01:03] cuz you might look like a racist. [00:01:04] >> We'll see. [00:01:05] >> All right. You might look like a racist. [00:01:07] >> So do you. [00:01:09] >> With the Super Bowl experience. This is [00:01:10] not part of the Super Bowl. [00:01:12] >> This was not promoted. [00:01:13] >> So don't come back. [00:01:15] >> Wellandled. Well handled. Frankie Biano, [00:01:17] general manager of the Zoo Sports Club. [00:01:19] Welcome to the Charlie Kirk show. Good [00:01:21] to have you. [00:01:23] >> Thank you for having me, guys. I'm [00:01:24] honored to be here. Well, I'm sorry that [00:01:26] you had to go through this experience. [00:01:28] Um, but you know, to me, when I see that [00:01:30] clip, it was it was like capitalism [00:01:32] capitalism in action. You know, you were [00:01:34] just like, "Hey, our people want this [00:01:37] show. What do you what do you want me to [00:01:38] do?" Uh, tell us what happened there and [00:01:41] why you chose to handle it the way you [00:01:42] did, sir. [00:01:44] >> Uh, okay. Thank you uh again really for [00:01:46] giving me this opportunity. I re I [00:01:48] really do appreciate it because I I [00:01:50] honestly can't believe [00:01:52] >> that it's to this point so so quickly [00:01:54] and it's silly to me. But um honestly I [00:01:57] can't tell you what happened Sunday [00:01:58] without telling you from the very [00:02:00] beginning about who we are. Um the Zoo [00:02:04] Sports Club started out as the Zoo [00:02:06] Private Club. We were going to be a [00:02:08] private membersonly club. uh it was [00:02:11] designed that way and uh we built our [00:02:14] systems and the building and the decor [00:02:16] all around that business model. Um but [00:02:19] in September of 2024, we had [00:02:22] back-to-back hurricanes hit here in uh [00:02:25] the Tampa St. Pete area for the first [00:02:27] time in decades. Uh and it wiped out our [00:02:29] beaches. It it wiped out what is very [00:02:32] very important to those who live here. [00:02:35] um too many lives were were negatively [00:02:38] impacted and we started hearing from [00:02:41] those people. We started hearing from [00:02:43] employee restaurant and bar employees [00:02:45] who didn't have a job. We started [00:02:46] hearing from the bands that didn't have [00:02:49] a place to play. Uh we started hearing [00:02:51] from the community that they didn't have [00:02:53] a place to go to gather to to meet and [00:02:56] and to to just enjoy uh and have fun. [00:03:00] So, we as a as a group, myself and the [00:03:02] owners, uh met and decided that we were [00:03:05] going to pivot uh a 90° turn and and [00:03:08] open up to the community. Um [00:03:12] offer them everything that we have [00:03:14] planned on being a private club. Now, [00:03:15] we're going to be a open to the public [00:03:17] club. We're going to give them an [00:03:19] opportunity to come in and play pool or [00:03:21] throw some darts or watch some of the [00:03:23] incredible local bands. And it didn't [00:03:26] take long for us to realize that this [00:03:28] was the right decision that that we have [00:03:30] formed a really great community-based [00:03:34] establishment for everybody to come in [00:03:36] and enjoy. There there were no rules to [00:03:40] who can come in. There were only rules [00:03:41] on how to act once you're there. Um and [00:03:44] it's worked out very well and we're very [00:03:46] proud of what we built. So that brings [00:03:48] us to Sunday [00:03:50] where again, you know, it wasn't a [00:03:53] political decision. It wasn't a personal [00:03:55] decision. My personal beliefs and and [00:03:58] political uh side of the aisle I sit on [00:04:00] had nothing to do with any of the [00:04:02] decisions I make at work. Um it wasn't [00:04:06] left or right. It wasn't red or blue. It [00:04:09] was green. It was money. And I had about [00:04:12] 250 people in the uh club and uh around [00:04:16] 240 some odd wanted the All-American [00:04:19] halftime show. So that's what I put on. [00:04:22] Um I the gentleman who videoed me, there [00:04:26] was a friend of his with him and once he [00:04:28] walked away, the friend came over to me [00:04:30] to continue to try to talk to me about [00:04:31] it. And I I explained to him, I said, [00:04:34] you know, when b when it comes to [00:04:35] business, the simple rule is majority [00:04:37] rules, the needs of the many, so to [00:04:40] speak. He understood. He shook my hand. [00:04:42] He went back to his seat at bar and [00:04:44] enjoyed the rest of the the evening. So, [00:04:48] um, you know, business is business [00:04:50] [snorts] and and that's what I base my [00:04:52] decisions on when I run my club. [00:04:56] Charlie Kirk believed courage [music] [00:04:58] and conviction still matter. He wanted [00:05:00] every Christian to stand firm in their [00:05:01] faith, no matter the cost. That's why [00:05:03] the Voice of the Martyrs is offering [00:05:05] [music] you a free copy of Extreme [00:05:07] Devotion. Inside are true stories of [00:05:09] Christians in places like China, Iran, [00:05:11] and Nigeria who refused to deny Jesus [00:05:14] Christ even in [music] the face of [00:05:15] imprisonment or death. Charlie's passion [00:05:18] was to see that kind of faith in all of [00:05:20] us. Get your free copy today at [00:05:22] vom.org/charlie. [00:05:23] That's vom.org/charlie. [music] [00:05:31] I think that's really well said, [00:05:32] Frankie. And and so you're just [00:05:34] basically saying, so we had this private [00:05:36] club. A lot of those people are still [00:05:37] your core your core uh customers. They [00:05:40] made a decision. They said the vast [00:05:43] majority it sounded like sounded like 95 [00:05:45] 98% of them were like hey we want to [00:05:47] watch [00:05:48] >> yeah we want to watch the all-American [00:05:49] halftime show. So you gave the people [00:05:51] what they wanted but there was a few you [00:05:54] know riff raff in there that wanted to [00:05:56] cause a stir. [00:05:57] >> And this is what it's you know so this [00:05:59] was a business decision that makes [00:06:01] perfect sense to me. You're being a good [00:06:02] capitalist. you're serving your [00:06:03] customers well. And I also like the way [00:06:05] that you handled that. You said, "Don't [00:06:07] don't film me." Which is just such a [00:06:08] rude thing to do in this day and age [00:06:10] that people got their cell phones out [00:06:11] and they they want to they want to make [00:06:13] you internet famous in a bad way. But I [00:06:16] think, you know, you're you're going to [00:06:17] be rewarded. One, because of the way you [00:06:19] handled this. You you haven't been [00:06:21] petty. You handled it like a gentleman. [00:06:23] You were strong and firm. He was rude. [00:06:26] And then thirdly, I think I think you're [00:06:28] going to to find that like you said in [00:06:30] the video, you're going to get customers [00:06:31] out of this because there's a lot of [00:06:32] people in the St. Pete, Tampa area, [00:06:34] they're going to appreciate the way you [00:06:35] handled that. You stood firm on on your [00:06:38] line. Have you got what has the feedback [00:06:40] been? I I know your phones have been [00:06:42] blowing up. I know your emails have been [00:06:43] blowing up. What's the feedback been [00:06:45] from your local customers and and your [00:06:47] your local community? [00:06:50] >> It has been from 98% support. [00:06:53] >> Wonderful. which is obviously yeah yeah [00:06:56] yeah yeah it's been wonderful um and [00:06:59] yeah I can't say anything negative about [00:07:01] that because it really has been [00:07:03] wonderful our core uh group of of [00:07:05] customers [00:07:07] have been screaming um support uh my [00:07:11] staff I am so beyond blessed uh with my [00:07:14] my team who who in the video you can see [00:07:17] they're all there they all came um they [00:07:20] have my back I have their back and uh [00:07:23] they've been incredible with this [00:07:24] because they're being impacted. Um it's [00:07:27] it's just unfortunate and and really I I [00:07:30] spoke to, you know, the owners obviously [00:07:32] a lot lately and I just want us to get [00:07:35] back to doing what we're doing. I don't [00:07:37] need to be famous. I don't need to be [00:07:40] looked at as anything more or less than [00:07:42] I am. Um I just want us to get back to [00:07:45] to what we do. You know, we have a lot [00:07:47] of fun at the club. We we have live [00:07:49] music and games and great people come [00:07:51] and visit us. Um, and that's I just want [00:07:54] to get back to that and and I I just uh [00:07:57] that's what I was hoping to accomplish [00:07:59] uh by coming on your show because I'm [00:08:03] hoping the message gets out that we're [00:08:05] still who we are. You know, I know who I [00:08:07] am. I know who the owners are. I know [00:08:09] who my staff is. And at the end of the [00:08:11] day, I can lean on that comfortably and [00:08:14] and believe that it's just going to it's [00:08:17] just going to work out the way it [00:08:18] should. [00:08:19] >> Well, God bless you, man. I think you [00:08:20] were doing the right thing by your [00:08:22] customers. You handled yourself well. [00:08:24] You have nothing to be ashamed of. And [00:08:26] you know, honestly, I I I appreciate [00:08:28] that you listen to your customers. You [00:08:30] you you did the exact thing that the [00:08:32] Professional Football League seems to [00:08:34] not be able to do, and you said, "Hey, [00:08:35] they want to see this show. We're going [00:08:36] to put it up. No questions asked." By [00:08:38] the way, there was bars all across [00:08:40] America that did the same exact thing. I [00:08:42] mean, Nashville was full. We got we got [00:08:45] inundated with videos from bars in [00:08:47] Nashville and Colorado and other places [00:08:49] that were doing the same thing. And I [00:08:52] will just say that as somebody who's [00:08:54] been through it, Blake can attest as [00:08:56] well, Frankie, that somebody who's been [00:08:57] through the internet swirl and the churn [00:09:00] and the outrage mob, it all lasts about [00:09:03] five minutes. It literally it's like [00:09:05] five minutes, man, and then they get on [00:09:07] to the next thing. They get distracted [00:09:09] by the next outrage. And these are all [00:09:11] miserable people. These are people that [00:09:13] their whole existence online is to just [00:09:16] like throw wrenches into the gears of [00:09:18] other people that are doing real things. [00:09:19] And that's what it sounds like you guys [00:09:20] are doing at the club. You're doing real [00:09:22] things for real people. You're you're [00:09:23] creating a place where they can gather. [00:09:25] They can feel like a part of a [00:09:26] community. And so, God bless you. You [00:09:29] did great. And uh you know, listen, we [00:09:32] put up huge numbers on on the on Sunday [00:09:36] evening. Huge numbers. They're bigger [00:09:38] than I thought, actually. We're we're [00:09:39] working with a third party firm. I was [00:09:41] so happy to see that. [00:09:42] >> Yeah. I mean, it's going to be it's [00:09:43] going to end up being let's just say 50 [00:09:46] million. Okay. Let's just say it's going [00:09:47] to be 50 million. It might be higher, [00:09:48] might be a little less, but it's going [00:09:50] to be approximately 50 million. And [00:09:52] that's a huge huge deal. And so, there's [00:09:54] a lot of people that are going to be [00:09:56] emotionally attached to the fact that [00:09:58] that was so successful. And we we see it [00:10:00] already like people are trying to say we [00:10:01] botted the feed or there wasn't enough [00:10:03] comments. By the way, we ran the [00:10:04] numbers, Frankie. And this is this is [00:10:06] funny. We're like almost 60% TVs that [00:10:10] we're watching this. Obviously, people [00:10:11] don't comment when they're watching on [00:10:13] TV device and you prove that at your [00:10:15] your club. It's not like people are [00:10:16] going to be able to com jump in the [00:10:17] comment section at your club. But [00:10:19] listen, I thought you did a great job. [00:10:21] Congratulations. I think you're going to [00:10:22] be rewarded richly and blessed from [00:10:24] this. And remember, five minutes outrage [00:10:27] and people know who you are. I think [00:10:28] your character shine through. So, God [00:10:30] bless you, man. [00:10:32] >> God bless you guys. Thank you very much. [00:10:34] That that's really kind to say. That [00:10:36] means a lot. Thank you. [00:10:37] >> Yeah, this two shall pass and then you [00:10:39] get back to the get back to doing what [00:10:40] you love. [00:10:42] >> All right. Thank you. [00:10:43] >> Appreciate it, gentlemen. Thank you [00:10:44] again. [00:10:44] >> Yeah, absolutely. And uh that's what the [00:10:47] Zoo I want to say the name of his [00:10:49] establishment again here. Hold on. The [00:10:52] Zoo Club. Hold on. I got it. Frankie [00:10:56] Biano, general manager of the Zoo Sports [00:10:58] Club there in Tampa, St. Pete. Uh what a [00:11:01] what a mench. What a great guy. He's a [00:11:03] just salt of the earth. Those are the [00:11:04] people that uh that make this country [00:11:06] great. So, God bless him and may and if [00:11:09] you are in the Tampa St. Pete area and [00:11:11] you're watching this show, go pay them a [00:11:13] visit. Spend a lot of money, you know, [00:11:15] buy buy a lot of food, you know, play a [00:11:18] lot of games. Uh bless that company, [00:11:19] that establishment. Uh because they're [00:11:21] just good Americans. That's what we [00:11:22] love.