The Challenge

DOPA’s rapid expansion has outpaced its digital experience. The existing online presence no longer matched the brand’s confidence, flavour play or cultural edge — nor did it support a growing network of express stores and full-service Restaurant formats.

The challenge was to:

Establish DOPA as the undisputed home of donburi in Australia.

Create a clear, intuitive way for customers to find their nearest DOPA and understand different venue formats.

Build a flexible CMS that could scale with evolving menus, seasonal drops and future locations.

Tell a deeper food story that showcases quality, ingredient sourcing and the art of the bowl, without losing pace or punch.

The Approach

Brand-first digital experience

We rebuilt the site as a digital extension of the in-venue experience. Bold, immersive and high-impact, channelling Japanese street energy while backing it up with real mastery in every bowl.

Turn up the volume

Cliché Japanese restraint out. Street energy in. Movement, bold contrast and attitude replace soft Japanese tropes, creating a brand world that’s unmistakably DOPA.

Fast copy. Deep flavour

We locked in a clear tone of voice with a snappy pace, yet with depth where it counts. Like DOPA’s donburi, content starts with quality ingredients, careful sourcing and fine-dining techniques — then lands with an umami hit. A dedicated Food Story experience pulls back the curtain on flavour, process and the artistry of the bowl.

Built for speed. Made to scale

The platform makes it easy to find your nearest DOPA, clearly separates Express from Restaurant formats, and lets customers move fast through menus. Behind the scenes, a future-proof CMS supports menu changes, seasonal drops and rapid expansion.

The Result

Working with Squad on our website was a solid experience from day one. They really took the time to understand our business and what the site needed to do, not just how it should look. The process was clear and collaborative, and the end result feels true to DOPA — it works hard, looks sharp and gives us a strong foundation to build on. I’d happily recommend Squad. Derek Phua, Founder