In early November, Frank’s Social Club will celebrate its first birthday. The neighbourhood bar has become a favourite amongst Paddington locals, quickly cultivating a loyal following over the past ten months thanks to its winsome character and crowd-pleasing menu of sourdough toasties, share boards and margaritas. Before September’s end, the Frank’s team will look to recreate the success of its Paddington locale over in Teneriffe with Thomas’ – a casual bar and nosh spot that could be the final piece of the puzzle for the suburb’s vibrant Vernon Terrace strip.

Thomas’ is taking over the spot previously home to Kamala (and, before that, Siffredi’s) – a nook positioned snugly alongside established haunts Rita’s Tequila and Taqueria, Zero Fox and Streetcorner Jimmy (and just around the bend from Beccofino). According to Thomas’ owner Jack Nicholson, the tenancy gave off a similar feeling to Frank’s Latrobe Terrace location – it had character in spades and was in close proximity to community-centric venues run by likeminded operators.

“When we saw the space, we thought it had a similar vibe to what we’ve got up at Frank’s,” says Jack. “Here you’ve got a nice strip of successful places, which is something I’ve always thought is important. You always want to have little precincts with multiple bars where people can cruise along and pop in.”

Though sharing some DNA with Frank’s, Jack tells us that Thomas’ will boast its own identity. The food offering will include cheese and charcuterie boards, small plates, and sandwiches, with a take on the classic sloppy Joe expected to be Thomas’ signature item. On the drinks front, Thomas’ will pour cocktails (including spritzes and mojitos by the carafe), three beers on tap (one from Bulimba’s Revel Brewing Co., a lager from Frenchie’s Bistro & Brewery in Sydney, and a ginger beer from Brewdog) and a tight selection of wines.

Jack and his team are reaching the pointy end of a swift refit, with the bulk of the venue’s seating to be spread across its portion of the sun-dappled deck. There will be a number of high tops and two timber banquettes, plus one or two tables inside for overflow.

“I’d just like it to be somewhere that the locals can come and comfortably hang out,” says Jack. “Here you’ve got a lot of residential and there’s quite a lot of businesses around. [Thomas’] is just going to be that nice, unpretentious, relaxing place to sit down and catch up with people.”

Thomas’ is slated to open before the end of September – stay tuned for more.