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Column: industry Tag: Açaí Bowl,açaí Berries,Chains Published: 2024-07-30 16:16 Source: www.mashed.com Author: MELISSA CABEY
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One of the most delicious and refreshing meals to eat on a hot summer day is an açaí bowl. The cold yet creamy and delicious base is made from açaí berries – which are originally from South America, specifically Brazil. These small but mighty berries pack tons of nutritional benefits, like antioxidants that help fight disease and inflammation. Acai bowls are popularly topped with tons of fruits, granola, honey, Nutella, peanut butter, or whatever your heart desires. They are a nutrient-dense meal that will be sure to satisfy.
Açaí bowls became popular in the United States around the year 2000, and now there are about 165 açaí bowl businesses in the country alone. IBISWorld, a company that does industry market research, projects that the açaí business will only continue to grow in revenue over the next five years. This is great news, especially for chains that are currently expanding. Many offer the opportunity to own a franchise of the shop, which can lead to expansion across the country that wouldn't have happened otherwise.
There are many popular açaí bowl chains that have popped up over the last few years and they are continuing to grow. Many chains offer their own method of making the bowls, special menu items, or missions that make them stand apart from others. We want to introduce you to 10 chains that you may see pop up in your hometown one day.
Rush Bowls
rushbowls / Instagram
Back in 2004, Rush Bowls opened its first location in Boulder, Colorado. Its whole MO is to create delicious bowls filled with healthy and "honest" ingredients — meaning it takes pride in where it sources them. It offers three types of bowls: destination bowls, wellness bowls, and endurance bowls. Under each of those categories, there are 5-6 different flavors that you can choose from. Many of its bowls have an açaí base, but some of them are made with various types of fruits. It offers many types of health boosts like a multivitamin, spirulina, fiber, energy, or protein powders. Along with that, there are tons of other toppings and mix-ins that you can add as well.
Since you can completely customize these bowls, it helps you get exactly what you need taste and health-wise. Need some extra fiber in your diet? Add it to the bowl! Feeling like you're getting sick? Add in some immune support.
Another great thing about Rush Bowls is that it takes great value in giving back. It supports multiple causes and even has a form on its website that says, "As we continue to expand nationwide, we welcome suggestions of great local charities who operate in the communities we serve, so please feel free to promote your favorite charity below." Rush Bowls currently has over 55 locations open around the U.S., and it's nearly doubling that number with about 45 new locations that will be opening soon.
Playa Bowls
playabowls / Instagram
Playa Bowls was created by two Jersey Shore natives and has become a staple of most Jersey Shore towns. With many locations physically on the boardwalk next to the beach, seeing a Playa Bowls containers sitting in the sand isn't a rare sight to see.
The two founders are surfers who would travel all over the world to catch a good wave. On their journeys, they discovered that many of these surf towns offered different versions of açaí bowls. Inspired by their worldly, post-surf meals, they decided to bring back this idea to the surfers at Jersey Shore. What started as a pop-up stand on a boardwalk in Belmar Beach turned into a massive chain with over 200 locations throughout the country.
Playa Bowls has an extensive menu with bowls that have classic açaí, while others have a green vegetable and fruit bases. You can choose specific bowl creations and customize them, or you can start from scratch and create your own concoction. The choices are endless for toppings — it offers simple toppings like various fruits, granola, and peanut butter. It also has more interesting toppings like bee pollen, figs, or flax oil.
Playa Bowls continues to expand, and has 75 new shops that will open by the end of 2024. Mainly dominating the East Coast, Playa Bowls will be expanding all over the country with shops in Phoenix, Arizona and Chicago, Illinois, amongst many other locations as well.
Bahia Bowls
bahiabowlscafe / Instagram
Bahia Bowls is a smaller chain that currently operates in 5 states in the U.S. The company's goal is to bring its hand-crafted bowls and smoothies to "every corner of the country." It offers franchising opportunities for people who want to bring this chain to its local community. With 18 locations open currently, we hope to see this chain grow even more.
Bahia Bowls already operates with the energy of a massive chain restaurant. It has its own app, which helps customers order their meals quickly and easily. The app also offers perks, like earning points with each purchase. Many popular chain restaurants do this, so we hope that by Bahia Bowls already implementing such big-business practices, it'll help the chain soar even more.
Its bowls are slightly different from other brands because it layers the bottom of the bowl with granola, puts the filling in the middle, and then tops it with more granola and toppings. It's sort of like an açaí sandwich! Speaking of sandwiches, the brand also has a variety of toasts, salads, wraps, snacks, and smoothies. It has a high standard for quality, and shares on its site that the ingredients used are always fresh and the meals are made to order. If you're in Philly, Florida, Ohio, Tennessee, or Texas — make sure you check out Bahia Bowls. If not, hopefully one will be coming your way soon!
Oakberry
oakberryau / Instagram
Oakberry originally began in Brazil, home of the açaí berry, and now it's well ... everywhere! It has around 700 shops worldwide – including the United States, Australia, Brazil, Portugal, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Colombia, Germany, Spain, Cyprus, Italy, and even more. It has become incredibly popular over the years, and only continues to grow more. Most recently, it was announced that the first location in Hawaii will be opening by the end of 2024.
One way that Oakberry stands out from other açaí bowl chains is the way the bowls are actually served. While they are still labeled as "bowls," the product is served in taller drink-like containers. It's easier to hold the product in one hand and eat it on the go. The bowls are also very aesthetically pleasing, with the ingredients layered perfectly. With the popularity of TikTok and Instagram, having a product that looks good is almost as important to how it actually tastes.
The other great thing about Oakberry is that it offers unlimited toppings. You can add as much or as little as you'd like, and you only have to pay extra for special toppings like protein powder. The açaí base is made organically, and is gluten-free, vegan, and has no artificial flavors or coloring. This makes it a great, dependable brand for anyone who has allergies or is trying to eat more organically.
Everbowl
Everbowl is a trendy San Diego-based açaí bowl chain that now has over 83 locations throughout the country. On its website, you can see the current stores as well as many locations that have a "coming soon" note attached to the listing. So, there will be many more stores to come by the end of 2024.
Everbowl is creative with its açaí bowl names, with some standouts like "The Whatever Bowl" and "The Perfect Date". It also believes in quality ingredients that fuel the body naturally, and strives to promote clean eating that will help the customers be more active and healthy. With a variety of bases to choose from that you can layer and mix, the types of different bowls that you can create are endless. Everbowl also has interesting ingredients to add, like chia pudding or oats as a bonus base. Whatever you're craving, you'll be able to create it at Everbowl.
The brand specifically appeals to younger generations, with a strong Instagram presence and a satisfying aesthetic. One Google Maps reviewer said, "My friends and I went this morning and it was so good. We found it on Instagram and had to try it. The employees are so friendly and it's so clean and aesthetically pleasing."
Clean Juice
cleanjuice / Instagram
Clean Juice is a chain that isn't first and foremost an açaí bowl chain. It's a type of smoothie and juice bar that sells fresh juices, salads, smoothies, snacks, and açaí bowls. Its açaí bowls are incredibly popular and are a large part of its menu. It sells 10 different kinds of bowls which are all unique. One stand out is The Cold Brew Bowl which actually has coffee in it.
Clean Juice is the first and only USDA-certified organic juice & food cafe franchise in the country. The purpose of the chain is to create an inviting atmosphere for customers while serving nourishing and delicious products. On the customer testimonials section listed on the website, one client shared, "Very transparent menu with all ingredients and nutrition info. They accommodate my gluten and dairy allergies easily." For people with allergies, eating out can be stressful and unpleasant, so having a trusted brand in that regard is always a win.
Currently, Clean Juice has over 100 stores across the U.S. It offers franchising, and even has a team of marketing experts that help franchise owners be successful in their own locations. Tim Tebow, the famous NFL quarterback, is the National Brand Ambassador for Clean Juice, which gives the brand a great edge when selling its product.
Sambazon
Sambazon UK / X, formerly known as Twitter
Sambazon is actually the pioneer of the açaí bowl industry in the U.S. It was founded in 2000 when the owners discovered delicious açaí bowls in Brazil amongst Brazil's other iconic foods, and they knew that consumers in America would love the delicious treat as well.
Sambazon does more than just sell a great product. It also aims to support the Amazon rainforest by using sustainable methods of harvesting the açaí berries. This way, the company isn't affecting the natural balance in the rainforest. It also believes in fair trade, and has its own açaí manufacturing banks right in Brazil. This company has a lot of integrity, which is great to see from a chain restaurant.
Sambazon's açaí bowls are similar to what we've seen at other chains: lots of fruit, granola, sauce, and other fun toppings to choose from. The thing that sets these bowls apart, however, is the quality of the açaí. They are wild-harvested by hand straight from the Amazon and are certified organic.
Although Sambazon was founded in 2000 by originally selling its products in grocery stores, its first flagship store opened in 2010. Sambazon is now seen in various locations, like colleges and universities, airports, and stadiums. According to its site, it's expanding to locations in hospitals, military bases, and theme parks. Like many other brands, it offers franchising, so locations will continue to pop up around the country.
Vitality Bowls
vitalitybowls / Instagram
Vitality Bowls is a family-founded company, created by husband and wife duo Roy and Tara Gilad. When their daughter was diagnosed with severe food allergies, they felt motivated to find healthy and safe food for her to eat. In the world of fast food, that is always a difficult feat. Vitality Bowls' kitchen in each location is specifically designed to avoid cross-contamination, making it a safe option for people with food allergies.
Some açaí bowls don't have that pure açaí taste because the açaí is mixed with ice or yogurt. Vitality Bowls shares on its website that its açaí is purely just that — açaí. On its menu, it offers around 14 options for different bowl varieties. Most have açaí as a base, while others have pitaya or even chia seeds. There's also the option to "power up" your bowl by adding more healthy ingredients, like bee pollen, organic turmeric, or matcha.
Currently, there are over 70 Vitality Bowls locations open around the country, with most of them concentrated in California. It has expanded to the East Coast with locations in New York, New Jersey, and down to Florida. The site also lists many locations that are opening soon, so we can see that Vitality Bowls is continuously expanding. Since its opening in 2011 and then franchising in 2014, the company has a goal of bringing healthy and allergen-friendly food across the country.
SoBol
sobol_inc / Instagram
SoBol keeps its mission and values very simple. On its site, it says its vision is "to provide super cool food and awesome experiences" while the mission is "to improve people's days". It has pride in its ingredients, blending the açaí fresh each day, using homemade granola, and only serving the freshest fruit. It also uses all natural nut butters, keeping "junk food" off its menu.
SoBol has nearly 70 locations in the United States, with more than half of them being in New York. It's also very big on franchising, and has a whole separate website section just for that. One of its selling points is that because the SoBol menu has a small ingredient list, it keeps quality control and inventory of the products more manageable for someone opening up their own location.
As for the bowls, SoBol has a simple yet enticing menu. Each bowl has a different base: açaí, green, pitaya, spirulina, mango pineapple, coconut, or chocolate cacao. You can customize each bowl by adding or subtracting ingredients. There are fun and healthy add-ons that cost a bit more money (about $1.75 on average) like hemp seeds, protein, cookie butter, or cacao nibs.
People who have a Sobol in the community appreciate the brand. A Google Maps reviewer from New York City shared, "I always enjoy coming here! It smells nice, the staff is kind and quick, and the bowls are yummy and filling. Love having a fresh fruit option nearby."
Frutta Bowls
fruttabowls / Instagram
Frutta Bowls has been around for less than 10 years, but has made quite the splash in the açaí bowl world. It currently stretches across 16 states and has 39 locations. Frutta Bowls has a nationwide concept where it strives to keep its high standard of selling healthy and delicious food while also getting involved with the communities that each of its locations are in.
Frutta Bowls is also very allergen-friendly. While looking up the menu online, there is an immediate option to set your preferences to toggle any allergens that you have. The list of allergens also goes beyond your average gluten, dairy, and nut lists. It includes more obscure allergens like garlic, mustard, or sulfites. It's also very health-conscious, as it allows you to set your nutrition goals while looking through the menu. You can choose amounts of things like calories, macronutrients, fiber, sugar, and more that you're aiming for in your bowl.
The menu has about 10 bowl styles available, with an option to also completely design your own bowl from scratch. It offers classic base options along with açaí like pitaya or greens. The toppings are the usual — fruits, granola, nut spreads, seeds — you know the drill. It also offers interesting boosts like probiotics, collagen, and multivitamins. Frutta Bowls is a great place to go if you want a fully customizable açaí bowl that will help you reach your health goals while also staying clear of allergens.
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