New cafe Mr Frankie brings hipster coffee to Frankston South
A new cafe has opened in Frankston South, injecting hipster, Melbourne-style coffee and smashed avo into the sleepy bayside neighbourhood.
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Cruise up Olivers Hill and zip through unassuming suburban backstreets until you find the bright pink cafe that’s been the talk of Frankston South.
Mr Frankie has been churning out Melbourne-style coffee and avocado-laden brunches since May.
It’s the new business venture for retired Aussie cricketer John Hastings, who upped stumps from the city’s northwest and moved bayside five years ago.
Hastings noticed a lack of high-end cafes in the area so he decided to open his own with wife Bri, her cousin Paula and her builder husband Tom Walker.
With the help of interior designer Alisia Harrison, the group flipped the old Norman St newsagency into a funky, warm-toned 29-seater.
Mr Frankie, playfully named after the suburb it serves, is a burst of colour inside and out. There’s an Art Deco mural of teal, burnt orange and rose gold above a plush blue-velvet bench seat that spans the cafe’s length, while red pendant lights hang above a terracotta-tiled communal table near the cafe’s entry.
Every morning from 7am, baristas are kept busy churning out Industry Beans lattes and cappuccinos from the blush-pink terrazzo-topped front counter, which also has a jar of red striped paper straws — indicative of the young, hip and enviro-friendly cafe-goer Mr Frankie hopes to attract.
Food by head chef Casey Norman (ex-The Greville, Cumulus) is familiar but with a health bent.
Get bowled over by the sweet pumpkin and haloumi fritters ($17, pictured).
They’re served piping hot and when you cut them apart they string tiny haloumi strands.
The dish is balanced by refreshing olive-oil drizzled cucumber ribbons, puffed sesame and quinoa crisps and an earthy beetroot hummus.
Late-risers can try the crispy chicken burger ($22) which is one of three after-midday lunch menu choices.
Between a flaky brioche bun, the chicken is battered and fried, draped in a gooey American cheddar, stacked tall with iceberg lettuce and given a generous squirt of Mr Frankie’s secret sauce (our guess is chipotle and cornichons).
Only here for coffee and sweets? Norman rises early each day to replenish the cafe’s glass cabinet of baked goods, including gluten-free brownies, vegan cakes, biscuits, muffins and hefty sangas for those on the go.
Junior diners are not forgotten, with toasties, eggs, chips and cheeseburgers.
Switched-on baristas pump out the Melbourne-coffee styles, including dirty chais, matcha and turmeric lattes, and batch brew.
House-made smoothies and plenty of tea options are also on offer.
Pending a liquor licence, Hastings hopes to launch tapas and wine nights in the future, showcasing local Mornington Peninsula wineries.
Mr Frankie has had an impressive first innings, with its hat-trick of crowd-pleasing coffee, braggable brunches and good vibes.
SEAFOOD DISH YOU MUST TRY IN SANDRINGHAM
MILO COCKTAIL BEST WINTER WARMER
CAFES TO TRY IN MELBOURNE’S BAYSIDE
MR FRANKIE
48 Norman Ave, Frankston South
OPEN: Daily 7am-4.30pm
GO TO DISH: Pumpkin and halloumi fritters
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