Beckaly Franks

The Climb

Portland bar training rewards range: neighborhood pace, tavern volume, and cocktail-bar discipline all ask different things of a bartender. Beckaly Franks worked behind the bar at Thunder Ranch, Dixie Tavern, and Clyde Common, building the service habits, drink execution, and guest read that later carried into ownership. Hong Kong’s cocktail trade has room for bars that define themselves as much by house culture as by the glass. In 2015, Beckaly Franks co-founded The Pontiac, a rock ’n’ roll bar built with inclusivity and gender equality as part of its operating stance. Across 2015–2024, the bar became known for a direct, high-energy style of hospitality and a clearly held point of view. Multi-venue work in Hong Kong requires a shift from single-bar identity to systems, delegation, and concept control. In 2024, Beckaly Franks co-founded Hungry Ghost and took proprietor roles at Artifact and Call Me Al, extending her work from bar craft into broader hospitality operation. “There’s a lot of really strong female representation out there. If I’m in any way part of that, then I feel, outside of talking about monetarily, that’s what I consider successful.” Beckaly has said.

Current Practice

Contemporary Hong Kong hospitality is shaped by operators who can hold drink quality, room culture, and staff standards together across concepts. Beckaly Franks now works through Hungry Ghost, Artifact, and Call Me Al, with a career line that runs from Portland bartending rooms to Hong Kong ownership and bar-building.

Career - Co-founder — Hungry Ghost, Hong Kong - Proprietor — Artifact, Hong Kong - Proprietor — Call Me Al, Hong Kong - Bartender — Thunder Ranch, Portland, Oregon - Bartender — Dixie Tavern, Portland, Oregon - Bartender — Clyde Common, Portland, Oregon - Co-founder — The Pontiac, Hong Kong (2015–2024)

Signature

Signature cocktails include Hobnail.

Recognition

Peer recognition in bartending often points to influence inside the trade rather than public celebrity. In 2023, Beckaly Franks received the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender award, marking respect from within the industry for her bar work, leadership, and role in opening space for other bartenders. The through-line is craft under pressure: Portland service foundations, a Hong Kong bar with a defined culture, and later ownership across multiple venues. Beckaly Franks’ record sits in the practical work of building rooms where drinks, staff, and hospitality standards have to hold together night after night.

FAQ What is Beckaly Franks's day job? Beckaly Franks is co-founder of Hungry Ghost; proprietor of Artifact and Call Me Al. Where did Beckaly Franks work before? Earlier in their career, Beckaly Franks worked at Thunder Ranch, Dixie Tavern, and Clyde Common. What recognition has Beckaly Franks received? Altos Bartenders’ Bartender (2023).