Hop off the Metro at West Jesmond and you’ll find Awesome Franks – a little sandwich shop with a big personality – tucked into the station frontage.
Created by Alex Walker, formerly of Scream for Pizza – this unconventional space is a Wes Anderson fan’s dream. Painted in turquoise and red with an old American train station vibe, it is decorated with vintage telephones – each one sporting a quote from an iconic movie scene or a song lyric.
“I wanted to encourage people to communicate in real life and not be on their phones – get them chatting in person,” says Alex.
Alex, 45, is originally from County Durham and named the shop after her three-year-old son, Frank. “Frank’s quite a quirky character, as a lot of three-year-olds are, and last year he refused to leave the house or go to nursery unless he was dressed as a superhero. I started calling him Awesome Frank and I knew that had to be the name for my new venture.”
The building had been empty for seven years before it became available for Alex to lease. Prior to that, it had been Richard Grainger Wine Merchants for three decades. Alex describes it as being “like an old curiosity shop. They’re interesting buildings and Nexus is being quite proactive about filling the spaces.”
Having found a space, why did Alex choose sandwiches? “Who doesn’t love a sarnie?” she laughs. “It’s like a blank canvas, you can do so much with them.”
Alex is working with as many local businesses as she can to supply ingredients. There’s produce and products from Charlotte’s Butchery and Great Northern Provisions, plus Northern Rye bread, and Zees milk rolls, to name just a few.
“We want to provide the best possible product for a reasonable price. The standard has to be excellent, and people want to get the most for their money with the cost of living increasing,” adds Alex, who is also working on a vegan burger with mushrooms from By the Bay Mushroom Co. The menu also features fermented drinks by Ste Coe and this week there is a lively plum soda on offer, while there are new variations of kombucha weekly too.
Having started a food business before, Alex is using her experience of the ups and downs to her advantage. “You’re under no illusions the second time round,” she says. “The climate is a lot more challenging for new businesses now. I learned from Scream that people like experiences and I’ve tried to create something here that’s a little bit different.”
Alex is also planning a pie and mash day with Great Northern Provisions, a Santa’s grotto in December, and a Carry On-themed pizza night.
Awesome Franks is as much about human connection as it is about the bacon sarnies. The staff are warm and accommodating, and that ethos extends to working with others in the local food scene. “Collaborating with other businesses is hugely exciting and important in a small city like Newcastle,” Alex says. “People are quite brave here; there’s a real have-a-go spirit.” We’re certainly going to have a go at working our way through the sandwich menu at Awesome Franks in the months ahead.
Awesome Franks is open Wednesday-Friday 8am-3pm, and Saturday 9am-4pm, in West Jesmond Metro Station, Lyndhurst Avenue, Newcastle, NE2 3HH.
Follow @awesome_franks on Instagram.
