CLAIRE ABELA

Director Claire Abela took to social media to look back on her first days at local cosmetics, fragrance, and wine and spirits chain Franks.

Franks’ roots date back to 1893, when Salvatore Abela – nicknamed ‘Frank’ – opened his first shop, ‘Frank’s Bazaar’ on the Cospicua Waterfront. Nowadays, the chain spans a whopping 10 stores situated in Mellieha, St Julian’, Mosta, Sliema, Valletta, and Paola.

Claire Abela / Facebook

“Franks Energy [in Valletta] back in the days,” Ms Abela captioned a decades-old photo.

“This shop has a very special place in my heart, it’s where my passion for the business started, back when I was around 13 or 14 with Paula Borg as my Manager, mentoring me and looking out for me. Some things never change,” she wrote.

“It’s crazy how time flies and how fast a business and people evolve. Mega grateful for the incredible people I’ve met along the way,” Ms Abela continued.

Back in 2018, the Franks Director went on to establish Lucy Makeup Store – an enterprise she currently leads as Managing Director.

Having started out as a tiny shop at the Plaza shopping centre in Sliema, Lucy Makeup Store can now be found at Tigne Shopping Mall, Baystreet Shopping Complex, Valletta, Santa Venera, and Qormi.

Related

What survives February matters more than what starts in January

2 February 2026
by MaltaCEOs

How many goals or resolutions did you set in January?

Human-first leadership means backing personal goals, not just performance targets

27 January 2026
by MaltaCEOs

Supporting personal ambitions outside work is not a soft perk, but a strategic advantage.

Global CEO confidence hits five-year low as AI returns lag – but Maltese leaders signal resilience

23 January 2026
by Nicole Zammit

The question is whether Malta’s resilience today could mask the need for faster transformation tomorrow.

Why cheap wine is dying, but knowledge is thriving

23 January 2026
by MaltaCEOs

Cheap, commercial wines are taking the hardest hit.