Playa Bowls, the Belmar, New Jersey-headquartered superfruit bowl shop franchise with nearly 350 outlets in the United States, has announced a master agreement with Eat Up Canada Inc. to expand the brand across North America. This marks its first international development deal and includes plans to open more than 160 new shops.
Known as New Jersey’s original acai bowl shop, Playa Bowls offers an extensive menu of over 40 items, including the bright flavors of acai, pitaya, green and coconut bowls alongside oatmeal bowls, juices and smoothies.
“Playa Bowls is in a fast-growing category with tremendous momentum, and this agreement marks a major step in our strategy to introduce our great-tasting menu full of health conscious options to new markets,” said John Cappasola, the company’s chief executive officer. “George Heos and Alex Gerzon are exactly the kind of experienced operators we look to partner with. They are proven brand stewards and developers with deep expertise in scaling successful restaurant concepts. From building a 50-unit Firehouse Subs portfolio to spearheading other emerging brands’ entrances into Canada, George and Alex bring the operational excellence, local insights, and passion for growth that align with our values and vision for Playa Bowls’ continued expansion.”
After decades of restaurant industry experience with brands including KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Boston Pizza and Recipe, the founders behind Eat Up Canada successfully built a 50-unit Firehouse Subs portfolio in Canada. In the brief time since starting the Pokeworks franchise two years ago, they’ve scaled it to eight Canadian locations and also developed the MightyBird fast casual concept. With expertise in franchise development, real estate, operations, supply chain and marketing, Eat Up Canada is well positioned to support rapid expansion of Playa Bowls throughout Canada.
“Playa Bowls is exactly the kind of high-growth, high-potential brand we look for,” said Heos. “Our team specializes in introducing standout US restaurant concepts to the Canadian market, and Playa Bowls fits that profile perfectly with their proven unit economics and a passionate following. Bringing a leading superfruit bowl brand into our portfolio allows us to tap into the demand for better-for-you dining at a time when consumers are more health-conscious than ever.”
