Classic Collingwood favourite, To Be Frank Bakery, is set to land in Melbourne’s south side in July. The second To Be Frank store will set up its home in Elsternwick.

Baker Franco Villalva and partner Lauren Parsons started the business back in 2019 to have a focus on sustainability and the community. They specialise in pastries and slow-fermented breads, using the modern French technique of respectus panis.

Since it opened in Collingwood four years ago, To Be Frank has become a popular fixture in the Melbourne bakery scene. The announcement of a second location was met favourably online across the brand’s social media.

The team announced the new location very quietly, simply posting, “To Be Frank is excited to share the news that we’re expanding and opening a new location, and we want you to be a part of our journey!”

The brand goes on to put up a callout for new staff across the board to take up the mantle in the new Elsternwick store.

Franco and Lauren are hoping to be able to foster the same sense of community at the new store as they have built up at the Collingwood store.

“We’ve become friends with a lot of our customers, and I think that’s a really important part of the community that we still want in Elsternwick,” Lauren told Broadsheet.

Image: Jose Giovanni Castillo