According to QSR Magazine, Playa Bowls will be expanding with ten new locations in the Chicago area over the next five years.
A representative of Playa Bowls was not immediately available for commentary upon What Now Chicago’s request.
“Brian Cutlip, President, and Co-owner of Vandelay Bowls, LLC, will spearhead Playa Bowls’ expansion in Chicago alongside partners Andy Frukacz and Grant Hosking. Cutlip and his business partners are currently exploring retail locations across Chicago’s most popular neighborhoods including Fulton Market, Wicker Park, and Lincoln Park.”
“Playa Bowls, the nation’s leading superfruit bowl shop specializing in acai, pitaya, mango, green and coconut bowls, juices, smoothies, cold brew, and more, announced the signing of eight new multi-unit franchise agreements. These agreements will lead to the establishment of 54 new shops, underscoring the brand’s robust and accelerating nationwide growth,” QSR Magazine states.
According to the Playa Bowls website, “The Playa Bowls™ concept is the vision of founders Robert Giuliani & Abby Taylor — both Jersey Shore natives & long time surfers. Abby grew up in Ocean Township surfing the beaches of Monmouth County, while Rob grew up surfing in Ocean County.”
“They were inspired by chasing summer on surf trips to Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, California & Hawaii. Almost every exotic surf town they visited offered their unique version of an acai or pitaya bowl. They decided to recreate their favorite recipes with their twist at home at the Jersey Shore.”
“They made a deal with the owner of the pizza shop they lived above on 8th Avenue in Belmar, NJ. They bought a blender, a patio table, a fridge & a freezer and set up a makeshift pop-up stand on the sidewalk in front of the pizza shop.”
“They spent a lot of time & effort telling their story and educating customers on the benefits of acai. As word spread of this creative & intuitive pop-up stand, more & more people stood in line on the side of Ocean Avenue to see what Playa Bowls was all about.”
“Rob & Abby realized it was time to take their growing business to the next level. Fast forward nine years & here we are, sharing our story & passion at over 200 stores nationwide.”
