SOFIA’S Restaurant on the Frankston foreshore is set to close its doors next month after more than 20 years in business. Last week, the restaurant’s owners confirmed that their lease is due to expire. They will close the doors of the restaurant for good on 9 February.
“We regret to inform you that our restaurant will be closing due to the expiration of our lease,” a statement on the restaurant’s Facebook page read. “We want to take this opportunity to thank you for your loyalty and support over the years. It has been an absolute pleasure serving you. “Thank you once again for being a part of our journey. We hope to see you in the restaurant before we bid farewell.”
Frankston Council began the expression of interest process for the waterfront spot last September, and is expected to announce a new tenant after a February meeting. Frankston mayor Kris Bolam said that “it is time for something new” for the foreshore location.
“With the Frankston Foreshore being an incredibly popular destination all-year-round for locals and visitors alike, it is of utmost importance that we find a suitable long-term tenant to take this waterfront facility into a new chapter. Council undertook an expression of interest process in September last year to consider a new tenancy for the waterfront space, and there was a significant amount of interest showcasing just how highly sought after this location is,” Bolam said. “I am delighted to advise that details are being finalised with a shortlisted new tenant that will operate an exciting new dining experience at the Frankston Foreshore restaurant facility. “It is encouraging to see the high calibre of applications made to activate this highly sought after space and I look forward, as I’m sure many within the community will, to what’s to be on offer in the near future.
“I want to thank the team that have worked at Sofia’s Restaurant over the past 21 years. They will be missed and I wish them the best of luck in the future.”
In 2023, Frankston Council issued a temporary shutdown order to the restaurant citing unclean conditions.
First published in the Frankston Times – 21 January 2025