O Beach Ibiza: Behind The Scenes with Duane Lineker

Duane Lineker from O Beach Ibiza speaks to Lee Dinsdale for Making Ibiza!

Making Ibiza is a series of Live FM radio shows broadcast from different locations in Ibiza with people who work in Ibiza from the world of Business, Culture and Wellbeing.

Lee: This is the Logros Show Making Ibiza Series and we are live here in O Beach with one of the partners Duane Lineker, how’s is going Duane?

Duane: Good to be here.

Lee: Thank you very much for joining us. I was just saying off air you've been recommended to speak to, since everybody we've been speaking to here for the making Ibiza Series said you're a great guy and good operator here in Ibiza so looking forward to hearing your story.

Duane: Thank you very much that’s nice to hear. Let’s see if I can live up to that mantle.

Lee: For the purpose of everybody listening we’re going to be finding out about the story of O Beach. Where did it start from and what your involvement is here. We’re going to be talking about entrepreneurship as well and also for all you holiday makers looking to come to Ibiza for 2021 what's in store at O Beach and in some of the other businesses as well you have.
So just a little bit of an intro, where are you from?

Duane: I’m Duane Lineker; I’m one of the partners at O Beach. I have been in Ibiza 12 years now so I certainly call it home. Originally born in Leicester but kind of moved out from there when I was 10 down to London, then to Spain since I was like 16 so I’ve been in Spain, Marbella for a while then to Ibiza and now 12 years here. Been going with O Beach now, I think it's going into our ninth season so very excited and just hopefully we can get a proper season this year and not something like what 2020 was.

Lee: Let’s get into what you were doing when you were 16, 17 years old before you got to Ibiza?

Duane: I was trying to become a professional golfer which is a very different career path to running beach clubs and bars in Ibiza. I went to uni in America at 17 trying to become a pro golfer via that route and never quite made it. I realised I wasn't quite good enough at 18 and thankfully I had a great family business to walk into and my dad was in need of a family member to step in so I went to Marbella and Ayia Napa to help run the bars there and never looked back from being in the hospitality industry from that really.

Lee: So was it going to Lineker’s then?

Duane: Linekers in Ayia Napa’s firstly when I was literally 18 and then down to Marbella after that for the winter there. I stayed there for eight years and kind of helped run the bars. We had five bars down there at that stage and it was a quite a big task for an 18 year old stepping into some big bars and big industry you know.

Lee: What was life like then when you're 18 in those bars on holiday?

Duane: Well I wasn't on holiday I was working and I’ve always been able to kind of separate work and holiday which is one of the reasons maybe I’ve been reasonably successful so far and been able to keep level headed. You can lose yourself in that environment at 18, 19. Don't get me wrong I had some wild nights and friends come over and you get kind of a bit carried away but no it was a great time and really good fun working and living in Marbella and around the bars and learning a lot as well. I was like assistant manager or looking after my dad's in investments down there and learning a lot as an 18 year old in that situation.

Lee: I guess you were pretty young then being thrust into that kind of role.
When you think back to that experience what are some of the key things that you learned there about managing such a size of operation?

Duane: I think just making sure that you've got good people around you as well. Obviously my dad had business partners down there. Paul who's still his business partner now taught me a lot in terms of making sure I was on top of staff and watching everything that was going on and understanding the atmosphere of them sort of places as well. Making sure that the staff are happy enjoying themselves, but also not taking it too far because in this industry in the bars we want the staff to have fun we want them to enjoy themselves; we don't mind them having a couple of drinks with clients and stuff but there's a level that they can get to and if they step one step too far then it can go wrong quite easily.

What is this Interview About?
The story of O Beach
Lineker’s family businesses in Ibiza
Working in the family business
Places to visit in Ibiza

#OBeach #Ibiza #MakingIbiza

[UnityRadioYT]

Duane Lineker from O Beach Ibiza speaks to Lee Dinsdale & Unity Radio for the Making Ibiza Series

[dragomatinov]

Good video. Problem sound. Maybe changing the microphones 🎤 is a good idea. Plus, the echo needs to be managed.

But, the video guests are a great idea 💡