Just Open: Mr Willis Espresso Art Bar, East Geelong

After opening Mr Willis cafe in Hampton in 2013, Jimmy Javni and fiance Rachael Henderson have opted to move back to Geelong to be closer to family.

With Javni's cousin, Stefan Borcuk, and his fiance, Rachel Sawyer, they have recently opened Mr Willis Espresso Art Bar in a former finance office in East Geelong combining cafe, gallery and bar.

The bright, airy space has timber benches and tables, and a regular rotation of work by local artists on the walls.

"Stefan had the fit-out built off-site ready to be installed and we added our own touches to the decor," says Javni.

Signature dishes include gluten-free pancakes with ice-cream, berries and maple syrup, and popular triple-stack corn beef, sauerkraut and swiss cheese reuben, and coffee is from Abbotsford-based Locale Espresso.

"We just want to be the best at what we do every day, with our focus on an organic and gluten-free breakfast and lunch menu along with dinners and functions," says Javni. "We are also offering wine and whisky nights during the nights that we are not open."

Open Mon-Wed 8am-4pm; Thu-Sun 8am-11pm.

21A Ormond Road, East Geelong, 03 5221 6315