FOOD THAT FEEDS THE SOUL
“As a restaurateur, there is such an enormous high I get from our turning an empty space into something people would want to go to and spend their time in and celebrate with friends and family at,” says Abba Napa. The Co-Founder and Creative Director of The Moment Group, who has overseen the rise of concepts like Manam, Mecha Uma, Ooma, and Mo Cookies, says the most exciting part of being in the food business is developing the restaurants and their menu, along with branding and design.
Born to a family of restaurateurs, Abba saw how hard and time consuming it was and initially wanted no part of it. “I actually wanted to be a secret spy and chase bad guys in a Maserati around Eastern Europe, or be an astronaut,” she shares, with a twinkle in her eye. Nevertheless, she first caught the bug for the industry when, as she began striking out as an entrepreneur, her father supported her by letting her eat her workweek meals at his restaurants, without charge.
