From Sacramento Business Journal on March 12, 2026
A superfood chain that’s had a local presence since 2016 is expanding to Woodland this summer.
Vitality Bowls will open at 2061 Bronze Star Drive, Suite 200, in the Woodland Gateway center. The shopping center is anchored by Costco, and has Best Buy and Target locations. The cafe will join other eateries including In-N-Out Burger, Panda Express, Sourdough & Co., Starbucks and Jimboy’s Tacos.
Vitality Bowls offers açaí bowls, smoothies, juices, salad and grain bowls, wraps, toasts and panini options, according to its website. According to a news release, the company launched in the Bay Area in 2011 and now has more than 100 cafes.
“It was just a healthy option that I feel like the people of Woodland would enjoy,” said Harjaspreet Rajasonsi, one of the franchisees for the Woodland location. “On top of that, I think Woodland being such a community-based town, I know it’s going to do pretty good there.”
Rajasonsi will partner with Kunarveer Singh for the business. They hope to open the superfood cafe by the summer. Rajasonsi said the space is about 1,190 square feet and will offer seating for about 15 people.
Singh said this will be their first Vitality Bowls location. Singh said he and Rajasonsi are fans of Vitality’s açaí bowls. Singh said he frequently ate açaí bowls when he was in college.
“Vitality does a good job to make things so consistent every single time. If you have a bowl once and you have that bowl again, it will consistently taste equally as good every single time,” Singh said. “So Vitality to us looked like a brand that really had it dialed in and really did care about the product itself and I think that’s what resonated with us a lot.”
Vitality Bowls made its local debut in 2016 with a site in Roseville. In 2021, the Business Journal reported the company was eyeing expansions in Sacramento and surrounding areas.
In 2025, the company announced it would open two locations in Elk Grove, but those locations do not appear to be open yet. A representative for the brand said those locations will be owned by a different franchisee from the Woodland site and the Elk Grove locations are still in development.
Rajasonsi said the Woodland space is currently unoccupied and they are working on renovations, including updating plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems and adding the Vitality Bowls branding. Singh said if renovations go as planned, they hope to have a grand opening for the Woodland location in June or July. Singh said the pair may open a Davis location in the future.
Visit the link to the online article for more information.
From Daily Voice Wappingers Falls, NY on March 5, 2026
Vitality Bowls, located at 1839 South Rd. (Route 9) in Wappingers Falls, revealed that Shimaa Elshafey has taken over ownership of the café as of January 2026.
Elshafey, a local entrepreneur with experience in the food industry, will oversee daily operations while focusing on strengthening the café’s ties to the local community and continuing to offer its menu of made-to-order, health-focused dishes.
Vitality Bowls specializes in açaí bowls, smoothies, salads, wraps, and grain bowls, all made with nutrient-rich ingredients. Popular menu items include the Superfood Bowl, made with organic açaí, pitaya, almond milk, granola, cacao nibs, and goji berries, and the Chimichurri Steak Wrap, which features grass-fed steak, greens, grains, and vegetables wrapped in a tomato basil tortilla.
Vitality Bowls
Elshafey said the response from customers since the transition has already been positive.
“My background in the food industry will play a crucial role as we continue to grow the business, support our team, and provide the community with nutritious options made with clean ingredients that support a healthy, balanced lifestyle,” Elshafey said, adding, “We are even more optimistic about what the future holds.”
The Vitality Bowls franchise was first founded in 2011 in San Ramon, California by Roy and Tara Gilad after their daughter’s severe food allergies inspired them to create safe, healthy food options.
Since launching franchising in 2014, the brand has grown to more than 126 locations open or in development.
The brand’s leadership welcomed Elshafey to the franchise.
“Her experience in the food industry and commitment to developing the business locally align well with our mission, and we’re confident she will deliver a positive guest experience,” said Tara Gilad.
If you’re starting a health kick and looking to stop by for some all-natural goodness, check out Vitality Bowls’ full menu by clicking here.
Visit the link to the online article for more information.
The restaurant industry is entering a period of recalibration. Rising costs, shifting consumer habits and operational pressures are forcing many traditional food franchises to rethink their long-term strategies. Recent industry reporting has highlighted the possibility that some legacy concepts may struggle to sustain performance in the years ahead — a signal that entrepreneurs evaluating business opportunities should be paying attention to wellness franchises where consumer demand is moving.
Consumers increasingly prioritize fresh ingredients, transparency and meals that support their overall well-being. What was once considered a niche category has become a mainstream expectation, creating a meaningful opportunity for franchise systems designed around these preferences.
Why Health Concepts are Here to Stay
National brands such as Smoothie King, Jamba and Tropical Smoothie Cafe made items like smoothies and juices more mainstream for everyday consumers. Their growth over the past decade reflects a clear shift in how consumers think about convenience food. While interest in superfood bowls, smoothies and juices surged, often driven by trends and quick-fix wellness fads, it created an opening for concepts like Vitality Bowls that focus on clean ingredients, transparency and real nutritional value rather than novelty alone.
The Next Phase for Health and Wellness Franchises
The evolution of the segment is moving toward full-meal solutions that balance convenience with nutrition. Concepts that combine superfood bowls, smoothies, wraps, salads and grain bowls position themselves to capture customers throughout the day.
This shift is where food franchises like Vitality Bowls have focused their development strategy.
Founded on the idea that consumers should have access to nutritious and satisfying food, Vitality Bowls built its menu around açaí bowls and a wide range of superfood ingredients long before the category became popular. Over time, the concept has expanded into a comprehensive café experience designed to drive frequency and loyalty, not just trial visits.
For franchise operators, this approach translates into a model that aligns with long-term consumer behavior rather than short-term trends.
Why the Timing Matters for Entrepreneurs
Industry shifts tend to favor concepts that align with changing consumer expectations, especially those built for efficiency and flexibility. As some legacy brands face declining traffic or rising operating costs, emerging concepts built around those expectations can capture market share more efficiently.
Wellness franchises also benefit from strong community alignment. Guests who value wellness, ingredient transparency and customization tend to become repeat customers, creating a stable foundation for franchise performance.
In many markets, demand for better-for-you dining options is still growing, particularly in suburban and secondary trade areas where large-scale health concepts have limited presence.
A Model Built for Today’s Restaurant Industry
Wellness franchises vary widely, which is why evaluating the operating model is just as important as evaluating the menu. Entrepreneurs exploring food franchises should look beyond concept popularity and focus on whether the structure of the business supports long-term ownership.
Vitality Bowls has intentionally built a café model that reflects how modern restaurant businesses need to operate today — efficient, flexible, and aligned with evolving consumer expectations.
Key elements that differentiate the Vitality Bowls model include:
Streamlined Footprint — Cafés typically operate in spaces of approximately 750–1,500 square feet, allowing for lower build-out costs and flexible site selection compared to traditional restaurant concepts.
All-Day Menu Appeal — The menu spans breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner occasions, helping drive traffic throughout the day rather than relying on a single peak window.
Health-Forward Positioning with Broad Reach — While rooted in superfoods and clean ingredients, we designed our menu to appeal to a wide audience, from wellness-focused consumers to families seeking lighter, customizable options.
Operational Simplicity — A production model centered on fresh assembly rather than complex cooking equipment helps reduce kitchen complexity and supports consistent execution across locations.
Loyalty-Driven Customer Base — Guests who prioritize nutritious dining options tend to return frequently, creating strong community ties and repeat visitation patterns that support franchise stability.
Portfolio-Friendly Concept — The format integrates well alongside other businesses, making it attractive for multi-unit operators looking to diversify within the restaurant or wellness space.
In a landscape where rising costs and operational challenges reshape the restaurant industry, concepts designed with efficiency and adaptability in mind increasingly gain value. The Vitality Bowls model reflects this shift, offering franchisees a concept built not just for current demand, but for sustained relevance as consumer expectations continue to evolve.
Ready for Your Next Investment in Health and Wellness Franchises?
The restaurant industry continues to evolve in a clear direction. Consumers are not abandoning dining out, but they are becoming more selective about where they spend.
For entrepreneurs exploring franchising, the question is no longer just which brand is popular today, but which concepts align with where demand is heading.
Top franchise opportunities in the health and wellness space represent a segment supported by both cultural shifts and everyday purchasing behavior. As the category moves into its next phase, brands that offer a complete dining experience position themselves as leaders.
Vitality Bowls is one example of how a thoughtfully developed concept can meet this moment, offering franchisees an opportunity grounded in proven demand, operational efficiency, and long-term relevance.
There’s no rule that says you have to limit your New Year’s resolutions to just a few missives. Keep that in mind when you peruse this list of the restaurants coming to North Jersey in the new year—you can make a resolution to eat at each and every one. Vitality Bowls, Clifton.
The rapidly growing health food chain Vitality Bowls is opening a location in Clifton in the first half of 2026. If you’re not familiar, its menu includes healthful wraps, toasts, and panini as well as acai bowls, salads, cold-pressed juices, salads and more. It’s the third New Jersey location, joining the recently opened Hackensack and Harrison spots. Location is still to be determined.vitalitybowls.com.
Here is a link to the complete online article here: https://www.northjersey.com/story/entertainment/dining/2025/12/30/new-restaurants-in-north-jersey-in-2026/87566038007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z11xx45p119150c119150d00—-v11xx45d–51–b–51–&gca-ft=201&gca-ds=sophi
Vitality Bowls, the nation’s leading superfood café concept specializing in nutrient-packed açaí bowls, smoothies, wraps, salads, grain bowls, and more, is building off the momentum it generated in 2025 to launch an exciting new chapter of growth and innovation in the year ahead. In 2025, the Northern California-based company celebrated its 14th anniversary as a health and wellness leader in the QSR space, commemorating more than a decade of providing allergy-friendly, health-focused menu items to communities across the country.
“It has been a truly transformative year for Vitality Bowls,” said Tara Gilad, president and co-founder of Vitality Bowls. “From expanding into markets like Connecticut, New Jersey, California, and Nebraska, to launching our Create Your Own Bowl program, we’ve continued to evolve in ways that bring even more choice and access to healthy eating for our guests. The ability for customers to personalize their superfood experience has been incredibly well-received and reflects how far we’ve come as a brand. Every milestone this year, from new openings to new product launches and sales wins, has strengthened our mission to make clean, nutritious food available to all. As we look ahead to 2026, we’re excited to keep that momentum going and reach even more communities nationwide.”
In the past year, Vitality Bowls expanded its national footprint with five new openings, including its debut café in Connecticut and the brand’s first food truck in Modesto, California. The brand also broadened its product lineup with the launch of cold-pressed bottled juices, shots, and smoothies across the Georgia market, building on existing availability throughout Texas and California. In 2025, Vitality Bowls sold more than 1.6million açaí bowls and continued its commitment to food allergy education through its sixth consecutive partnership with the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT). As of the end of Q3, Vitality Bowls generated a sizable increase in year-to-date comparable sales, a strong indicator that the brand is surpassing the broader casual dining and fast-casual categories. At a time when many restaurants are seeing traffic declines, Vitality Bowls continues to grow, reflecting strong guest loyalty and increasing demand for fresh, superfood-focused dining.
With a diverse and growing menu of nutrient-dense superfoods, the superfood caféconcept remains a go-to destination for health-conscious individuals. Whether it’s the vibrant acai bowl–the Superfood Bowl–or the satisfying Chimichurri Steak Wrap, Vitality Bowls continues to offer customizable, made-to-order meals designed to support wellness without sacrificing convenience. As the brand continues to evolve, it remains unwavering in its mission to bring accessible, high-quality food to all.
To learn more about Vitality Bowls, visit the company’s website at vitalitybowls.com. For more information about franchising with Vitality Bowls, visit franchise.vitalitybowls.com.
Here is the link to the online article: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/vitality-bowls-builds-momentum-in-2025/
A new health-focused restaurant is coming to Passaic County, bringing açaí bowls and other nutritious menu items to area residents and workers. Vitality Bowl has signed an agreement with local entrepreneurs Hardik and UnnatiMistry to open a location in Clifton, expected to debut in the first half of 2026. The fast-casual restaurant specializes in açaí bowls, which blend the antioxidant-rich Amazon berry with various toppings, along with smoothies, salads, wraps, toasts, and grain bowls.
“Opening a Vitality Bowls café is a natural extension of my passion for health, wellness, and helping others live better lives,” said Hardik Mistry, who has a background in customer service, operations, and IT. “My goal is to create a welcoming space here in Clifton where guests can enjoy delicious, clean meals, supported by a strong team and consistent, top-tier service.”
The menu includes options such as the Superfood Bowl, made with açaí, pitaya, almond milk, organic granola, cacao nibs, and goji berries, and the Chimichurri SteakWrap with super greens, grass-fed sous-vide steak, grains, and radishes in a tomatobasil tortilla. Tara Gilad, co-founder of Vitality Bowls, said the Mistrys’ customer service experience and interest in health and wellness make them well-suited for the franchise.“Hardik and Unnati truly reflect the heart of what Vitality Bowls stands for, and we can’t wait to see the lasting impact their new superfood café will have in the community,” Gilad said.
The Clifton location will include the Vitality Bowls Loyalty Club mobile app, where customers earn one point per dollar spent and can redeem rewards. Members receive a free açaí bowl on their birthday and a $10 reward for every 150 points accumulated. Roy and Tara Gilad founded Vitality Bowls in 2011 in San Ramon, California, after learning their daughter had severe food allergies and wanting to find safe, healthy food alternatives.
The company began franchising in 2014 and has grown to more than 126 cafés now open or in development. In New Jersey, there are Vitality Bowls in Hackensack andHarrison.“At this time, there are no confirmed cafés scheduled to open in the area aside from the upcoming café in Clifton,” a company spokesman said.
Here is the link to the online article: https://www.nj.com/passaic-county/2025/12/new-health-focused-cafe-coming-to-northern-nj-in-2026.html
Vitality Bowls
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