Founder of Hopscotch and Grind, Dona Murad
B rick walls, wooden benches decorated with small pails of cutlery, and tiny plant, pots, industrial-style flooring, and an incredibly hard to miss vintage-style bicycle suspended in the air close to the entrance that demands the attention of every customer as they walk in through the wooden fence to the door and are greeted by block capitals“ OH HEY” on the floor. Welcoming the customers with her own signature phrase, founder of the rustic kitchen Hopscotch, Dona Murad, has created a space that brings to its customers more than healthy yet comforting food, but also a comfortable and relaxed ambiance to enjoy their meals with friends and family, or work in the cosy yet equally cool and relaxed aesthetic made even more perfect with a cup of freshly brewed cup of coffee, crisp to the taste. Dona spoke to Perle Magazine about her love for food and having a self-made hearty meal in a comfortable place that feels like home outside of home.
Experience the art of creating beauty from food from a young age, Dona was inspired by the art of baking as she would watch her grandmother bake and design wedding cakes, sparking in her an interest as well. At 15 Dona set up her own mini-business, called Cupcakery, of baking cupcakes and selling them to her friends, unknowingly paving the way for her future culinary endeavours. While away at university, Dona continued to work her culinary skills by preparing meals for herself, but her career in culinary did not take off till she quit her job in the
Marketing and Communications industry and signed her space in 2015, and 14 months later Hopscotch was born.“ To be honest this concept has been with me for a long time. I have always wanted a place where people could come in and have a coffee followed by a meal or vice versa in a comfy setting”, Dona explains and adds that working in a corporate environment never felt organic to her and thus she decided to move forward with her passion of food and coffee.“ If you know me, you know I love food and coffee!”
Naming the restaurant after her favourite game as a child, as well as it being an international game, which inspired her fusion menu, it is evident that Hopscotch for Dona is more than just a business venture. Working on the interior design
76 Perle APRIL- MAY 2017