It’ll be summer all year round at 807 N. 2nd St. in Philly when Playa Bowls sets up shop. The 1,400 sq. ft. Northern Liberties location was recently leased to the fresh fruit concoction franchise, which plans to open for business in February or March of 2022. Playa Bowls serves bowls that have an acai, banana, oatmeal, chia pudding, or kale blended base topped with fruit and other fixings like granola, Nutella drizzle, or coconut flakes.
You can choose from menu items like the Electric Mermaid, a pitaya blend topped with granola, kiwi, pineapple, mango, coconut flakes, and honey, or build your own bowl. Playa Bowls also offers smoothies, juices, coffee, grab-and-go snacks, and, at some locations, poke bowls. Some of Playa Bowls’ current seasonal offerings include their Pumpkin Pie Smoothie and the Jack O Lantern Oatmeal Bowl.
A couple of Jersey Shore surfers started playa Bowls with a blender, a patio table, and a passion for healthful snacks. Robert Giuliani and Abby Taylor came up with the idea for Playa Bowls while on surf trips to places like Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. They noticed most surf towns they came across had their own versions of acai or pitaya bowls. So, they decided to launch their own bowl biz with a Jersey Shore twist after striking a deal with the pizza shop they lived above on 8th Avenue in Belmar, NJ. They bought a blender, patio table, fridge, and freezer and started a pop-up shop in front of the pizza shop. In addition to selling their bowls and smoothies, they also shared the healthful benefits of acai with customers.
Before long, lines started forming fast, and Playa Bowls grew to more than 120 locations nationwide within six years. There are currently about 62 locations in New Jersey and 14 in Pennsylvania. According to the company’s websites, the incoming location at 807 N. 2nd St., owned by Jim Dale, would be the third Playa Bowls location in Philly.
