Hemingway's duo to open bar and burger joint at Freshwater and cafe-bar at Dee Why

The duo that opened Manly hotspot Hemingway's is launching a new venue this week after selling the bar-restaurant late last year.

Paul Fraser and George McLean will open JB & Sons this Thursday a short hike north, at Freshwater Village Plaza in Freshwater.

"It is a small bar and burger joint named after our good mate and best ever regular John Burgess. Quite the colourful character, he's a 72-year-old lifelong Freshy local who always chewed our ear off about his ideal bar. This is our best attempt to build one for him," Fraser says.

"We're not attempting to reinvent the wheel here, just offering a welcoming little space with a few crafts on tap, our favourite wines by the glass and a short and sweet cocktail list. We're pretty confident we've nailed the perfect burger."

The duo has also nabbed a large beachfront site at Dee Why, where they'll open a cafe and bar later in the year.

And the reason why they sold Hemingway's? They had an incredible "won't take no for an answer" offer from a French restaurant group, Fraser says.