BY FRANCHISE TIMES – In the QSR market, as in others, brand positioning matters. Just ask Tara Gilad, founder of Vitality Bowls. The San Ramon, California-based franchise sells acai bowls offering a variety of permutations and combinations with acai and other superfoods. Positioning the bowls as meal replacements instead of treats has paid off well for the franchise, which has 40 units sold so far. read more
BY MAMA CHALLENGE – Going out to eat with the kids isn’t always easy, especially when you’re trying to watch what they are putting in their bodies. Here is a quick list to the Top 10 healthiest restaurants for kids (and hopefully for you, too!) All of these also have gluten-free options so make sure to ask your server!
Vitality Bowls, 4 states with 20+ locations
While this new hot spot only has one Texas location, the West Coast has long embraced this uber-healthy joint that doesn’t just feed your hunger, but gives you body the things it needs to work at its best. Vitality Bowls® superfood café is looking to revolutionize the new idea of its Açaí Bowls®. Made from a thick blend of the Amazon’s antioxidant-rich açaí berry, the bowls are choc full of fruits, veggies, granola, and nuts for every palate. But the menu also includes smoothies, juices, wraps/paninis and salads served all day. While the idea sounds good to pile a lot of healthy things in one bowl, I wondered if the kids would dig in.
Much to my doubts, my daughter who is often the hardest to convince, said it was tasty and pretty, too. Just remember the bowl is cold, so this ain’t an oatmeal alternative. This is different than what you’ve had before, but change is good. And this change is real good for both of you. Plus they serve a chocolate covered banana too, so there’s always room for chocolate – as long as there’s fruit, too ?
BY THE DENVER POST – Healthy eaters in Colorado now have a new place to check out. Vitality Bowls, a “superfoods” cafe that launched in California in 2011, will open its first restaurant in Colorado on Friday.
“It took off in the (San Francisco) Bay Area very quickly,” said co-ownerVenkata Punati, a self-described “fitness freak” who hustled to bring the first franchise to Colorado.
The menu features about 15 types of açai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) bowlsserved without fillers — no artificial preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, ice cream or frozen yogurt.
The açai berry, native to Central and South America, shows up in everything from energy bowls (about $11) and detox bowls (about $12) to breakfast and dessert bowls, such as the Nutty Dessert Bowl ($6.99), which is a mix of organic açai, coconut milk, peanut butter, bananas, and dark chocolate.
The Dragon Bowl (about $12) is a burst of dragon fruit, also known as pitaya — the exotic fruit from Central and South America — plus mango juice, bananas, raspberries and pineapple.
There’s also a fresh juice bar at Vitality Bowls, plus salads, soups and panini sandwiches that include The Olympian ($5.99) with peanut butter on whole wheat with granola, bananas and honey.
2702 E. 3rd Ave. vitalitybowls.com. read more
BY FAST CASUAL – Vitality Bowls, which specializes in açaí bowls topped with a variety of superfoods, is opening in Denver. The new franchise location will be the first for business partners Venkata Punati, Krishna Dhulipalla and Vikas Chintha who plan to open additional cafés in the Denver region, according to a company press release.
“From the first bite, I knew it was the start of a new journey for me,” said Venkata, a seasoned operator of fast food and retail businesses. “The incredible taste of the fresh ingredients and the feeling it provides is just an unbeatable combination.”
Slated to open on Jan. 22 in Denver’s heavily trafficked Cherry Creek Mall, the restaurant will be the first Vitality Bowls café in Colorado. It joins an additional 19 locations nationwide.
“Simply put, we’ve created an environment where our guests discover that eating healthy superfoods can taste great in a variety of ways,” said Tara Gilad, founder and owner of Vitality Bowls. “We look forward to seeing Venkata and general manager Jasmine Punati expand their business in Denver and share the Vitality Bowls movement with the community.”
Since launching in 2011 the brand has signed development deals for nearly 40 units, Gilad said.
BY SOUTH FLORIDA BUSINESS JOURNAL – A California franchise that serves mostly plant-based, organic dishes will put down roots on the East Coast with its first Florida location.
Vitality Bowls, which has eateries open in California,
Colorado, Indiana and Texas, will debut its first restaurant in the Sunshine State in February at 1119 5th Street in Miami Beach, the
chain’s co-founder Tara Gilad told the South Florida Business Journal.
“We look at Florida like California, where people are into fitness and living a healthy lifestyle,” Gilad said of her San Ramon, California-based franchise. “I think the communities out there are looking for more healthy options and I think we will fit right in with that.”
Vitality Bowls sells smoothies, raw juices, salads, soups, paninis and ac?ai bowls for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. The menu is mostly organic and touts no added sugars, fillers, trans fats, additives, preservatives or nitrates. The chain is especially sensitive to diners’ food allergies, Gilad said, having been founded out of the difficulty Tara and her husband Roy experienced trying to find healthy, allergy- conscious restaurants where their daughter, Ella, could eat.
“My daughter has severe food allergies and I want to bring safe food to all the people and kids who have food allergies as well,” Tara Gilad said.
Vitality Bowls has 40 locations in development across the U.S. and is seeking franchisees to develop another 20-30 locations in Florida. The chain already has two more stores debuting in Central Florida early next year, Tara Gilad said.
The initial investment to open a Vitality Bowls location ranges from $75,000 to $200,000, according to the brand’s website. Locations typically range from 800 square feet to 1,500 square feet.
Vitality Bowls’ 2,300-square-foot South Beach location will hire 20-26 workers. The store will serve its full menu, in addition to area-specific dishes and a full organic coffee bar with cold-pressed coffee and organic kombucha on tap.
Tara Gilad’s brand is among a growing number of fast-casual restaurant brands across the country seeking franchisees who want to open locations in Southeast Florida’s most densely populated neighborhoods. Across the U.S., the segment continues to grow much quicker than fast food and full-service brands. read more
Recent Comments