1. # 037
HOPSCOTCH
Jay Lynch and Dwone Jones are the enterprising couple behind 360 Fitness Club.They have
now added Hopscotch Restaurant & Bar to their profile, a bustling noshery in playing distance
of the sparklingTamworth Regional Playground. Passionate and business minded, the dynamic
duo are in the business of making people happy – something they seem to have quite a gift for.
Fifteen years ago Jay Lynch walked into New York
restaurant, Tazza, looking for a job. Manager Dwone
Jones,alsoknownasDJ,tookonelookattheAustralian
and told him promptly they would one day be wed.
“It freaked him right out and he turned around and ran
out the restaurant,” DJ says.
“We became friends and then, you know what?” he lifts
his left hand, wedding ring flashing.
“I get what I want!”
We’re seated in Hopscotch, the airy dining experience
that is the latest venture for the charismatic pair. Organic
lines and timber framing gives the building a warmth, at
once interesting in its bilinear edges and curving spaces.
Awash with natural light, the business has been flourishing
since it opened its doors last December, its proximity to the
city’s new $3-million park attracting a diverse clientele.
“This whole thing that we’ve tried, whilst we love it, and if
we had to do it all over again we’d do it just the same, has
confused people. Is it a café, or is it a restaurant?” DJ says.
“Because of the look of the place, people think it’s high end,
but actually no. You can dress up, or you can come right
off the playground in thongs and shorts. It’s different and
that’s why we did it. To heck with the rules. Why do we have
to be either a fine dining restaurant or a kiosk and café?
We wanted to take a mix of the two and say the experience
is up to you to determine what you want.”
Jay nods in agreement.
“Wewantedtocreatesomewherethatwasseriousaboutfood
and serious about wine and coffee, but not stuffy,” he says.
“Somewhere you could come and feel warm and welcomed,
like you were visiting someone’s home.”
It’s the first foray into owning such a precinct for the pair,
the welcoming vibe of the café encompassing everything
that made them want to live in the region.
“I was supposed to be here for six months reporting for
Prime,” Jay says.
“We were living at Byron Bay and I was going home every
weekend.Then,afterafewmonths,DJmovedandIlovedmy
job, I loved the region, it was so different to what I’d known.
And suddenly we had 360 and nine years have passed.”
It’s the city’s inclusivity that drew them to stay.
“You’ve got to remember we’re a gay couple, I’m a loud
African-American man, my partner was on the news,
we kind of stand out,” DJ responds.
“When you start talking about the typical perception of
a regional centre, it’s not one of open-mindedness and
cultural diversity. It was refreshing coming to Tamworth.”
Five years ago, DJ was diagnosed with an aggressive form
of bowel cancer; the experience gave the couple both
perspective and drive.
“It was like, you know what? We want to see how far we
can go and what we can do,” DJ says.
“We’re put here to do something and it’s like, have a go,
and learn something different. We’ve never opened a
restaurant before. It was a steep learning curve. We got
a lot of things right and some things wrong and that’s all
part of it. It’s about waking up every day and learning
from your mistakes, to be better.”
Part of what they learnt is the importance of having the
right people on board.
“I think finding the right people is really the focus,”
Jay admits.
“Doing our best to be excellent at what we do gives us a lot of
satisfaction,sowetrytosurroundourselveswithpeoplewho
are passionate about what they’re doing. Really committed,
dedicated, loyal people who embody our values.”
Alongside Hopscotch, the pair facilitated and helped set
up the Tamworth Growers’ Market, held every Saturday
in the precinct showcasing local produce. Its steady
growth and community ownership is a point of pride for
both businessmen.
“There are so many amazing markets in Australia,
particularly in Byron Bay and through that hinterland,”
Jay says.
“We hadn’t seen a market in Tamworth that really focused
on local produce. We already had the café and park and
thought, with a market here as well, it would have so much
to offer. So we spoke to our horticulturalist, who was
involved with the Tamworth Community Gardens.
They were looking to put on a market but didn’t have
a location. They’re an amazing group of people, really
passionate about what they do.”
The ideas keep coming – at the time of writing, the couple
spoke of their plan to host a free quarterly music concert
outside the café, to be called ‘Sunday Sessions in the Park’.
“The idea is, if this can work, we can have four music
events we can promote around the region, where people
come to Tamworth, spend the weekend, eat in our
restaurants, stay in our hotels and, hopefully, shop in
our shops,” DJ says.
“It’s ways of taking businesses that are passionate about
Tamworth and bringing them together to think about
ways to raise the profile and increase the traffic for all
businesses. I hope it works.”
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