Sydney Road is flush with savoury Lebanese bakeries specialising in herby manoush flatbread, cheesy shanklish pies and other warm, floury treats. In the three-kilometre stretch that connects Brunswick and Coburg, there’s Zaatar, Al Alamy and two separate Tabet’s outlets.

They’re all good, but none can match the phenomenal popularity of A1 Bakery. With lines literally out the door every weekend and harried staff charging around with the urgency of emergency doctors, the place feels like a trendy new opening, not the 31-year-old business it really is.

A1 is today run by the second generation: brothers Haikal, Daniel and Anthony Raji. They inherited the business from their parents, Elias and Nadia Raji Farah, and aunt and uncle Nouha and Chafic Choueiri. Now they’re bringing it closer to the city than ever before, officially launching a new store on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, tomorrow.

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“We’ve been thinking about doing another shop for a few years,” Haikal tells Broadsheet. “We actually looked at the same site a few years ago. It didn’t work out for us, someone else took it, and then it went back on the market last year. So we had another look and just went for it.”

Where Sydney Road has dozens of seats, multiple counters and a grocery section, the new outlet is compact and takeaway-only. There are a couple of benches and stools in the window, adding up to about 15 seats total. And yet the original menu’s affordable spinach triangles (get the recipe here), Lebanese pizzas, haloumi pies, shanklish pies, chicken pita wraps and falafel platters are all available, prepared fresh throughout the day in a workhorse gas oven. An espresso machine works with beans from long-time A1 supplier Versano Coffee.

“We’ve got our whole menu there, but we’re not plating anything,” Haikal says. “If there’s a spot and you can eat your takeaway there, have a seat. That’s it.”

This is not the first attempt to replicate A1’s success elsewhere. Stores have been set up in Lalor, Dandenong and Werribee over the years, only to be sold and rebranded later on. The exception is A1 Fairfield, a franchise run by a family friend since 2013.
We have a feeling Fitzroy, which is entirely owned and operated by the Rajis, will go the same way – tomorrow’s inevitable queues being a sure omen.

A1 Bakery Fitzroy
295 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
No phone

Hours
Tue to Sun 9am–3pm

A1 Bakery Fitzroy and Brunswick will be closed on May 20 and 21 for a wedding in the family.

a1bakery.com.au/