Founded in Ontario, Hopscotch is a health-conscious fast-casual concept, built on a commitment to better food, better communities, and a better planet. This year, the franchise lands in Edmonton.
“We are excited to announce that our first Hopscotch in Edmonton will be located at the world-famous West Edmonton Mall,” say founders and brothers Wyatt and Aiden Booth. “We chose Edmonton because of the exciting development that’s currently happening throughout the city, like the recently opened Rogers Place Arena for the Edmonton Oilers, new office buildings, condominiums, and so much more. It’s bringing more people to the city of Edmonton and creating a refreshing vibe, more jobs, and a need for more incredible food. We wanted Hopscotch to be part of this exciting new movement.”
Hopscotch focuses on vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free dishes, but that’s not all.
“To us, dietary restrictions are not so much restrictions – they are a lifestyle now,” confirm the Booths. “Someone who eats meat can still enjoy a vegan dish, and someone who is not dairy-sensitive can still enjoy a dairy-free smoothie. Whether it be vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or dairy-free, these lifestyles have pushed culinary skills to a whole new level by emphasizing and utilizing fresh produce and non-traditional ingredients that create options anyone can enjoy.
“It wasn’t a single article or study that set us off; we were living active lifestyles and personally felt the benefits of eating healthier options, and that ultimately served as the inspiration for creating Hopscotch. Hopscotch will never restrict its menu to solely vegan or vegetarian options. There are great restaurants that offer those cuisines, but it’s not in our nature to restrict ourselves to one thing. We source high-quality, fresh ingredients for all diets and lifestyles, including halal, antibiotic- and hormone-free chicken, local honey for our smoothies and crispy bacon for our avocado cobber.
“We offer something for everyone, but can also easily tweak all of our menu items to meet someone’s dietary needs. The biggest benefit Hopscotch offers is that everything is prepared-to-order, so we always do our best to satisfy our customers’ needs.”
The young entrepreneurs are enjoying their first foray into the hospitality business.
“The biggest challenge being young entrepreneurs was getting people to believe in our vision. We needed landlords, banks and a variety of other services to look at our business plan and understand what we were trying to create. Many times we found ourselves educating people on sustainability, locally-sourcing products, health benefits, and the longevity of the lifestyle that Hopscotch and its customers lead. It’s always rewarding to be standing on a street corner and overhear happy customers talking about and carrying our product, or when a customer comes in and tells us how much better they feel after eating Hopscotch. It’s nice to know they are truly receiving the benefits of the ingredients we choose to use.”
Hopscotch has four locations planned in Edmonton. Keep an eye out for the grand opening later this year, and get ready for a fresh, new experience.
