Highpoint Unified

"I grew up singing and dancin​g, as well as learning piano and trying out sports too! I'm currently learning guitar, still learning piano, and I'd say that I'm now a singer/songwriter. The songwriting aspect is much more recent than the singing, but I love it more and more every time I do it. My music has RnB roots, however I'm trying not to limit myself to one genre and am experimenting with new sounds all the time. I grew up in the West and still live here, and I feel like everyone has this close bond and likes to stick together doing whatever they love. I make a lot of music with other creatives who also live in the west and we love going to music events together, involving each other in our projects and in some way representing artists in the West."

"Drew and I first met about 4 years ago when we were both employed as baristas at the same cafe. It was 'love at first sight' - at least for Drew anyway. About three weeks after [we met], we moved in together! We're both very passionate about hospitality and shared the dream of opening a café together, and now we're living it! We chose Highpoint because we thought it needed a place where you could relax and escape from the retail mayhem for a brief moment. We wanted to create a place where you didn't feel herded together with everyone in the food court, and also enjoy a proper meal & coffee at the same time. So we've made our little oasis and we're so stoked with it!"

"My parents have always had family-owned businesses so we've always worked together - it's not optional, ha! Food is the centre of our world, the whole family has a crazy passion for food and we express it everyday through the quality and presentation at our store. I love coming up with random little inventions and making every little experience a fun-filled one to remember. I love having a chat to customers, hearing about their lives and then telling them all about mine. I love providing the people of the West our homemade products and giving them a taste of our heritage. Everything I do revolves around my friends, my family and eating! Food brings us all together and eating is what we do best! I love travelling and getting ideas from all around the world and then bringing them back home and adding a personal touch. I love exploring and going out on an adventure, im always excited to check out a new restaurant, new cuisine, something different - I'm willing to try anything once!'

"My name is Jesse, I'm 27, and I've been cutting hair for 10 years. I started back in Brisbane at 16, and came to Jimmy Rod's during the 3rd year of my apprenticeship while I was still a teenager. After qualifying and finishing my apprenticeship with Jimmy Rod’s and working closely alongside Jimmy, I moved up to being a store manager. I had always wanted my own store and when I approached Jimmy about it we decided to go into business together and open a store outside of Queensland. I had wanted to move for a while  and Melbourne looked like a great place for the business and for me personally. I moved down in October 2015 and my girlfriend followed shortly after. I had not explored the West at all, but I couldn't have picked a better spot to land the store! It was great to be able to hang out after work at Highpoint, go to the movies, enjoy all the food options or even go for a knockoff drink with the work crew and unwind. I now live in Ascot Vale and absolutely love being close to work and close to the river and being a part of the local community."