By Riley Murphy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Scotch Bonnet Kitchen and Bar officially opened its doors in Bolton this August and has since been serving authentic Jamaican food and endless entertainment to the Caledon community.

Owner Dawn Foster is used to wearing many different hats; she's run her hair salon, Hair Revolution in Brampton, for the past eight years.

“I try everything,” says Foster. “I came up with the idea of opening a restaurant while operating my salon.”

After moving from Jamaica to Canada at the age of 24, Foster says she always has new ideas and is eager to try them.

“We grew up being told to go for whatever we want, and it's not going to be easy. Anything that I put my mind to, I know it's not going to be easy, but I work towards it, and I'm happy doing it. If it seems hard, as long as you're happy, it just comes natural to me.”

Foster says that every time she went to a Jamaican restaurant, she was never satisfied and knew she could do better.

Coming from a big family, she shares that she has been cooking her entire life and knew she could bring her vibrant ideas for a restaurant to life.

But for Foster, it's not just about the food; it's about the experience.

That's why she knew she had to find somewhere special for her business.

Scotch Bonnet Kitchen and Bar is located at 15 Allan Drive, Unit 16, in Bolton, and the large space is adorned with colourful seating, a stage for entertainment, a bar, and even a dart board.

Foster notes she loves to entertain, which truly comes across at the restaurant.

On Saturday nights, you can find people dancing and singing live karaoke, and she plans to add a pool table.

She says that the food is delicious and well-spiced, and it complements their overall ambience perfectly.

Foster says both those who work there and the way they treat customers are extremely important to her.

When building the menu, she says she wanted to be sure to include “everything.”

From their hot-and-spicy beef and vegetable patties, to oxtail, to curry goat, they even put their own spin on classics such as their jerk chicken panini and oxtail linguine.

“We try to twist the menu around to entertain everybody,” says Foster.

One of her favourite parts since opening, Foster shares, is when she opens up in the morning and sees the faces of those coming in.

“It's fun seeing people come in and see returning customers, they enjoyed the food and they're telling me that, ‘the food is so good.'”

“It makes me feel like, yes, you're doing something for the community,” says Foster.

As Foster is always coming up with new ideas, Scotch Bonnet Kitchen and Bar is looking forward to hosting its upcoming all-you-can-eat brunch on Sunday, November 30, complete with live music.

But she doesn't plan on stopping there. Foster shares that she looks forward to being able to hold “martini nights”, special happy hours, and live bands as well, to serve the community.

They currently run 10-dollar lunch specials, and look forward to various happy hours and “wings and beer specials.”

As of December 1, they will be serving all-day breakfast on Saturday and Sunday.

Whether you're looking for your new favourite Jamaican food spot or an evening of entertainment and drinks, Scotch Bonnet Kitchen and Bar is sure to be a new community favourite.