Banco in Dublin 7 will serve pastries in the morning, focaccias at lunchtime and pizza in the eveningsGrano’s Roberto Mungo in Banco, his new bakery coffee shop in Stoneybatter, Dublin 7. Photograph: Chris Maddaloni Mon May 25 2026 - 05:00 • 4 MIN READPlans for an expansion of the Grano empire have been Dublin 7’s worst-kept secret for months, with locals closely – and somewhat impatiently – watching the work being carried out at 17 Stoneybatter since the start of the year. But despite the neighbourhood nosiness, there has been infuriatingly little to see as owner Roberto Mungo has been very careful to keep the precise details of what he has been planning under wraps.Late last week, a big, bold black and white sign appeared over the door of Number 17. All it said was “Banco”. But Banco is not a bank – such things have long since disappeared from Stoneybatter – and when the newspaper pages covering every inch of the plate glass frontage are removed, they will reveal Mungo’s latest homage to Italy’s food culture.From Tuesday, June 2nd, Banco will serve authentic of Italian pastries in the morning, filled savoury focaccias at lunchtime and Roman pizza slices in the evening. It will also sell the breads and the fresh pastas that have made Grano across the road so successful, this time for customers to finish at home.There will be house-made breadsticks, crackers and cookies as well as Grano’s signature tiramisu. What there won’t be is a belt buckle closing properly in the ‘Batter by the end of the summer.Mungo describes his latest enterprise – a literal stone’s throw from Grano and his wine bar A Fianco – as “a boutique artisan bakery and takeaway dedicated to the craft of Italian baking and pasta, with grain at the centre of everything”. The name comes from the idea of coffee and food “al banco”, or “at the counter”.And it is not just any old grain. He will be using the ancient grains grown by his father on a piece of land in their home place of Calabria in southern Italy. Mungo, who opened Grano eight years ago, says his long-held dream was to have a working “forno”: a bakery where dough is mixed, fermented, shaped and baked throughout the day.Banco will serve pastries with coffee in the mornings. Photograph: Chris Maddaloni