Frank’s is one of our favourite F words. Behind the doors of this
unsuspecting Cheltenham cafe swells a maelstrom of BHE (big hospo energy). Its
namesake is the art of simplicity, and the seemingly easy but oft-forgotten
knack of plating up authentic, unadulterated, and truly frank (GEDDIT?) nosh.
Sure, influencers get around the lofty, blonde timber interiors as they
model a grain salad, and its Instagram is by no means understated. BUT, when it
comes to cafe courtship, Frank’s reminds us that chivalry is indeed alive.
Built upon the fundamentals of good people, great conversation and
glorious coffee, these guys have striven to make a hangout where people know
each other’s names, memorise your ritualised large-extra-hot-strong-soy-latte
order and offer quality fare. The ingredients are localised, the most common
phrase you’ll here at the coffee kit is ‘g’day Peter, just the usual?’ and the
staff are engaged in real discussions with real customers. The veritable cherry on
top has to be its senior Walking Team (yep) that dons bespoke, sexy Frank’s
tees, goes for sun-doused strolls and caps their sessions with a good feed at
HQ. Essentially, pass over an application form because we’re infiltrating this
rn.
It’s all coming up community at Frank’s. Today, we accost Harry
Butler - the man behind this unparalleled cafe-cum-home.
Give us a history lesson in how Frank's came about?
Basically, I'm a qualified carpenter with a business/marketing
background that was saving up for a house, and came across what I believed was
an under-utilised pocket of Cheltenham. I put my savings into the fit-out and
just like that, Frank's was born.
Was this your first venture into the gastronomy world?
First serious project. I have a little private catering company
called Corn Boss that was basically just a hobby/passion business for extra
money I did on the weekends while building. I also had a stall at Meredith
Music Festival called Little Champs, which was my first food concept, and was
basically mini sandwiches.
Melbourne's cafe culture is more saturated now than ever. How do
you stay relevant?
Long story short is build a local business for the
locals. It's not about what I like, it's about what our local market like.
That, and don't try to be the next "Flash-in-the-pan" with a stupid
doughnut burger or spaghetti taco. No one cares. Simple food done well is the
go. Build a genuine offering.
So many cafes rely heavily on their social media to drive their
customer influx. How do you temper this so that barista banter, ritualised
morning conversations and long lasting relationships with locals aren't
compromised?
Your regulars and
genuine customers don't give a f*ck about instagram. Yes, it's a necessary part
of doing business these days, but not ahead of building genuine relationships
in my opinion. The industry has seen a few "insta famous" venues
fold, which reinforces my theory that there's only one true measure of success
in business (and that's your bottom line). If you start to put your ego ahead of
that and focus on being popular on the internet instead of building a genuine
business/offering/relationship, then you're compromising your entire business.
What exactly makes Frank's a cafe with a difference?
I don't necessarily believe we are a cafe with a difference, or at
least we shouldn't be. We're just a suburban cafe with a nice fit-out, but
nothing over the top. We've got good food, good coffee and good service. There is
definitely an art to getting that right, but it's not like we've got some
secret recipe. We just genuinely care about our customers and staff and that
shines though I guess.
What does the word 'hospitality' mean to you?
I've never really given it much thought, but I believe whether
it's a massage, silver service dining, or just a simple morning coffee, people
are exchanging their money for your service. If you own a service business,
it's in your best interest to make that service/experience as good as you can
whilst still making money. Simple.
Do you think Instagram is a help or a hindrance to the
preservation of 'good hospitality'?
I think the game in changing and there is now a split across the
industry. There's still plenty of places that aren't on Instagram, that are a
more basic offering for a more basic clientele. Then you have the places that
try to be part of that "insta hospo" crowd, and the two almost aren't
competing as their such different markets. Insta, for us, is a help, as it's a
way for us to engage our staff, regulars and other locals. But we're very aware
what we want out of it. I don't care how many followers we have, or how many
likes we get, we just want our crowd to be able to follow our journey and feel
apart of what we do.
Tell us a bit about Frank's Walking Team. Why do you do it?
John Reid, the walking team captain (lol), came to us and said
there was a small group that lived in a retirement village up the road that
loved going for a walk on a Friday and finishing for a coffee at Frank's. Why
wouldn't we do it?!?! All we did was pay for the t-shirts and look after them
when they arrive on a Friday. They get so much joy out of it, and it just goes
back to us genuinely caring about our community. We make no money out of it, but
they make Frank's a better place.
How important is it to stay 'real' in this industry? Do you think
a lot of fellow small foodie businesses are somewhat 'selling out' in the age
of influencer marketing, showpony dishes, and hot pink lattes?
One of our core
values at Frank's was "genuine doesn't care about being cool". It's
important for us to "Stay Real", but there are plenty that don't and
have success, and there are plenty that do and fail. Everyone thinks running a
cafe would be fun/easy/a great lifestyle, but it's far from the truth. You have
to get the balance of so many varying factors right, all at the same time, with
"staying real" being just one. It's important for us, but I'm not
saying it's essential for everyone.
Who are your cafe crushes right now? What other
cafes/businesses/brands do you draw inspiration from?
Humble Creatures is great. The Left Handed Chef is great as well.
They're not insta places, but place that I feel are genuine with great food.
That's just me personally though. I'm absolutely obsessed with RAMBLR. I also
LOVE Hectors Deli.
And with that concludes #2. If you’re reading this at 11:35 at
night with an irrational desire for brunch, I’m sorry. Go to sleep and pull up
a chair at Frank’s tomorrow. If F45 isn’t your bag, also flag a mental note to
get on that Walking Team, stat.