Melbourne bakery chain Luke’s Bánh Mì has unveiled its plans to franchise.
Luke Vu, the founder of Luke’s Bánh Mì, told Franchise Executives the plan is to double the current footprint and open three company-owned stores this year before starting to franchise.
In the short term Vu will focus on Victorian expansion, initially growing the brand across metro Melbourne, and high foot traffic locations in the inner north and inner west of the city.
“We plan to have 30 stores by the end of 2027, the majority in Victoria, maybe one interstate,” Vu said.
Sydney is the target for the first interstate location, towards the end of 2027.
Vu expects Vietnamese bakery conversions to be a significant part of the growth plan.
“We have more than 70 interested parties and lots of enquiries from local Vietnamese, and we are now starting to screen candidates, and will start onboarding,” he said.
GM and brand director Christina Murrell is leading franchise recruitment with a focus on single-store operators.
Vu is in the process of onboarding a trainer, to help with new site openings, and is looking for an operations manager.
“We have heavily invested in strong systems and a clear brand and franchising will let us partner with keen operators,” Vu said. “We are looking for people passionate about food; we want to partner with someone hardworking and full of energy.”
A Luke’s Bánh Mì franchise is all about baking fresh every day
Vu was born in Vietnam into a family business – a wood-fired bakery. When he migrated to Melbourne in 2007 to study accountancy, he worked in bakeries at night in the pursuit of perfecting the art of bánh mì.
Vu opened the Puckle Street bakery in June 2021 under a rebranded name, Luke’s Vietnamese. In April 2025, the business rebranded to Luke’s Bánh Mì.
There are now bakeries in Moonee Ponds, South Melbourne, and Melbourne CBD.
A central kitchen supplies ingredients, including frozen dough for the freshly-baked baguettes with Vietnamese egg mayo, pâté, marinated meat and vegan proteins, and signature sauces. The cooking, baking and prepping is done in-store.
“We don’t compromise on quality. Everything is made from scratch, every day. It’s why our customers keep coming back, and why we’re confident in growing this brand into a national success story,” Vu said. “The challenge will be capacity. How we can meet the demand, and maintain quality across the network.”
A Luke’s Bánh Mì franchise has a $70,000 franchise fee, a 7 per cent royalty fee, with a marketing levy of 3 per cent. The franchisor will match a franchisee’s local area marketing spend, Vu said.
A typical store has an 80-90sqm footprint; Vu said the business is also exploring drive-thru options.
