Peppermint Bay operators open new venture Franklin in old Mercury building

MEET Franklin – the human restaurant.

New cafe and restaurant opening in the old Mercury building.

MEET Franklin – the human restaurant.

The long-awaited venture from the award-winning operators of Peppermint Bay opens its doors this week inside the art deco facade of Hobart’s old Mercury building.

“We always like the idea of calling restaurants by people’s names because they’re a human thing,” chef David Moyle said.

Adds co-owner Ben Lindell: “There’s Franklin the town, Franklin the river, Franklin the guy, Lady Franklin.

“His dog’s named Frank, my dog’s called Frankie.”

The bar, eatery and adjoining cafe – called Betsey – embrace the industrial look of the one-time printing press room, and the history of the CBD building.

“It’s important for the restaurant to have a sense of place and we wanted a strong name,” Moyle says.

“We wanted it to be representative of Tasmania and the site and that’s what stuck.”

A relaxed meeting place is the aim with an emphasis on fresh seafood and woodfired snacks, an ever-changing variety of tap beers and Italian wine. “If we get some really nice abalone we’ll serve it,” Moyle said.

“To be able to come in and have a beer and a snack is not going to break the bank.”

Delays caused by needing to fit the design inside an existing building put back the opening date by several months.

The day finally arrives this week but just which day will remain a mystery.

“We don’t really want to say it,” Moyle said. “We just want to open the doors.”

Franklin continues a revitalisation of the Mercury building since it was bought by arts patrons Penny Clive and Bruce Neill last year.

Pigeon Whole Bakers have set up in the same section of the building, while arts organisations including MONA have offices in the main building on Macquarie St.

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