BELOVED Carrington Chinese restaurant Franky's Dumplings & Noodles will close its doors on March 31.
With its miss-matched furniture, one-page menu, BYO alcohol and unpretentious homely vibe, Franky's was unique in the Newcastle dining scene.
Owner Matt McFarlane said he'd "run out of puff" after operating the business with his late business partner Hua "Franky" Fan since 2018.
"It's a relaxed place and I hope we're remembered as a place where everything doesn't have to match and you don't need to spend $200 for dinner for two," McFarlane said.
"You could go out on a student's wage and have a good night."
Besides forging a reputation for serving authentic and affordable Chinese food like traditional Lanzhou noodle soup with beef and vegetables, Franky's is renown for supporting local live music.
Gigs are held every Wednesday to Saturday and McFarlane estimates Franky's has hosted 800 performances and given 20 artists their first gig.
"It was always a really good place to test out original music in a safe space," booking agent and Franky's House Band member, Gabe Argiris, said. "It was also one of the only all-age venues you could book music."
Franky's has three weekly jazz house bands - the Robbie Long Trio (Wednesday), Franky's House Band (Thursday) and Breeze (Saturday) - and hosts young singer-songwriters on Fridays.
Franky's began in 2018 as a pop-up restaurant in Beaumont Street in Hamilton after McFarlane received a call from Fan.
"He'd moved back to China and rang me up out of the blue and said he wanted to open up a noodle place and he was heading back to Newcastle," McFarlane said.
"He said he wanted me to help him and I said yes straight way because he was a very charming character and a lot of fun to be around."
After being forced to leave Beaumont Street, Franky's found a permanent home in Young Street, Carrington, which formerly housed Mexican restaurant Antojitos and a butcher shop.
Franky's quickly developed a passionate following, before it was rocked by the sudden death of Fan in 2021 following an asthma attack.
"When he passed his family expressed that they wanted it to continue on," McFarlane said. "I also didn't know what to do, so I kept going."
Following the easing of COVID-19 border restrictions, McFarlane was finally able to take Fan's ashes back to China for a funeral with his family last October.
McFarlane said the secret of Franky's success was the commitment of his staff, headed by Gina Smith and daughter and father duo, Gess and Ken Haddow, who were among Franky's first customers.
News of Franky's closure has been met with an outpouring of support from the community.
"It's very heartwarming the way people are expressing their support and love for Franky's," McFarlane said.
"I'm humbled and grateful by the support from regular noodle and music lovers."
