Where to dine healthy in 2017
BY THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE – Joining locations in Chula Vista and Carlsbad is the latest Vitality Bowls Superfood Café in the UTC area. Organic antioxidant darling açaí berries are the base for multi-ingredient bowls that read like a nutritionist’s dream menu (flax, hemp and chia seeds, blueberries, Goji berries, broccoli, kale, almond milk, etc.). Ten kinds of smoothies and nine juices with names such The Powernator and The Detoxifier sound like vitality in a glass. 8935 Towne Centre Drive, La Jolla. (858) 412-4891 or vitalitybowls.com
Vitality Bowls Adds Coffee Bars
BY RESTAURANT DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN – Vitality Bowls offers franchise options to add lucrative coffee options.
If franchisees can’t or decline to install a full-blown coffee bar, Vitality Bowls has another way for them to benefit from specialty coffee sales: systems for serving cold-brewed coffee on tap. Photo courtesy of Vitality BowlsSeeking to claim their share of specialty coffee sales, many restaurant companies are buying espresso machines and adding a few premium coffee selections to their menus. Superfoods-focused Vitality Bowls, a 27-unit fast-casual concept with stores in Northern California, Atlanta, Miami, Colorado, Indiana, Texas and Nevada, went further. A little over a year ago, the brand added dedicated coffee bars to its prototype.
Uriah Blum, vice president of operations for the San Ramon, Calif.-based chain, says that given how competitive the coffee segment has become, his team knew that just adding coffee wouldn’t be enough. “We started in our flagship corporate store, and there’s a lot of coffee competition right on our street, so we wanted to do something nobody else was doing,” he says.
For Vitality Bowls, whose specialties include acai bowls, superfruit smoothies, cold-pressed juices, and healthful salads and sandwiches, that meant extending its core sensibilities to its coffee program. For starters, all of its coffee is organic, fair trade and non-GMO; almond, soy and coconut milk are offered; and sweeteners, used sparingly, are all natural and organic. Traditional espresso drinks are offered, but Blum went further to develop beverages that incorporate some of the chain’s signature ingredients. The result is a Superfood Coffee menu with selections such as Acai Latte, Superfood Mocha and a selection of organic teas.
Comprising roughly 150 square feet of space and positioned in the stores’ lobbies, the coffee bars are designed by the company’s in-house architect to be key front-of-house features. Franchisees are encouraged, but not required, to add them.
For those who don’t install the full coffee bar, a second option is available: organic cold-brewed coffee and kombucha on tap. Installed near the point-of-sale register, the cold-brew program merchandises itself, Blum says, and enables employees to provide samples while customers place their orders.
“It’s up to the franchisee, but it also depends on location and, in some cases, what’s already in the surrounding area,” Blum says of the full coffee bar feature. “Some developments have an existing coffee concept that has exclusivity, so we can’t add it even if we want to. It also depends on infrastructure. Adding the full bar requires plumbing, water, drainage, etc., which may be cost-prohibitive. The tap system is a good option in such cases.”
So far, seven Vitality Bowl locations feature the full coffee bar, and Blum says response has been positive. “We now get people who might have come in to pick up an acai bowl or something for breakfast and then are headed someplace else to grab coffee,” he says. “Having our own unique coffee program makes us more of a one-stop shop. We just have to make sure the product is consistently great. There are a lot of coffee snobs out there now. If they try us once and we don’t deliver, they won’t try us again.”
Superfood concept to open in Jacksonville Beach in Spring 2017
BY JACKSONVILLE BUSINESS JOURNAL – An expanding restaurant concept will be entering Northeast Florida in the spring as Vitality Bowls plans to open in Jacksonville Beach.
The cafe-styled restaurant has a health-conscious menu focus on nutrient-rich foods and specializing in acai bowls that “feature a thick blend of the Amazon’s antioxidant-rich berry.”
The restaurant will be just south of Fletcher Middle School at the North Beach Plaza, 1516 3rd Street North. Donnie and Amy Sears will operate the restauant.
“We are so excited to bring the healthy super foods of Vitality bowls to our home town of Jacksonville,” Amy Sears said. “With its beaches, waterways and year round mild temperatures, many people in Jacksonville maintain a healthy outdoor lifestyle and we are thrilled to be able to contribute new fast, affordable healthy options.”
Vitality Bowls first opened in Northern California, but has since expanded to 33 locations and has more than 20 franchise units under development, according to the company.
Vitality Bowls continues growth in new year
BY FAST CASUAL – In the last year, Vitality Bowls has signed 27 new agreements in markets across the country, opened 11 new restaurant locations in three states, added a sixth corporate location, unveiled six new brand initiatives and launched a new consumer-facing website, according to a news release from the company.
In its two years of franchising, the brand has accrued a current total of 40 cafés open and in development, with 24 more locations expected to open in the new year and plans to secure 50 additional territories.
“Two thousand sixteen has been a milestone year for us,” Tara Gilad, co-founder of Vitality Bowls, said in a news release. “As we celebrated Vitality Bowls’ five-year anniversary this year, we had so many successes to be thankful for – but even more to look forward to. Two thousand seventeen will be our year to utilize the momentum we’ve built to continue redefining the fast casual healthy food restaurant sector.”
Vitality Bowls said its brand objectives for the next year include partnering with additional schools for fundraisers and conducting more research around the sourcing of new superfoods.
Vitality Bowls Celebrates Superfood Success in 2016
BY FRANCHISING.COM – Superfood Cafe Chain Reflects on Year of Remarkable Accomplishments and Healthy Growth.
Fueled by strength derived from superfoods, Vitality Bowls continues to revolutionize healthy food across the country.
In the past 12 months, America’s fast-casual superfood café chain has signed 27 new agreements in markets across the country, opened 11 new restaurant locations in three new states, added a sixth corporate location, unveiled six new brand initiatives and launched a new consumer-facing website.
The brand, which was founded in 2011 and began franchising in 2014, has been well received by entrepreneurs across the country. In its two years of franchising, the brand has seen exceptional growth with more than 40 cafés currently open and in development.
The brand expects to continue growing with that same momentum in 2017, with plans to open an additional 24 locations and secure 50 additional territories.
“2016 has been a milestone year for us,” said Tara Gilad, co-founder of Vitality Bowls. “As we celebrated Vitality Bowls’ five-year anniversary this year, we had so many successes to be thankful for – but even more to look forward to. 2017 will be our year to utilize the momentum we’ve built to continue redefining the fast casual healthy food restaurant sector.”
In addition to the array of nutrient-packed options already listed on Vitality Bowls’ food allergy-friendly menu, the brand is now offering guests the following at select locations:
- Superfood coffee bar
- Organic kombucha and organic cold brew coffee
- New all-natural, grass fed, humanely raised meats for salads and panini
- New salad menus (Spinach Salad: Spinach, Goat Cheese, Quinoa, Strawberries, Almonds, House-Made Balsamic Vinaigrette and Kale Salad: Kale, Cucumbers, Goat Cheese, Quinoa, Celery, House-Made Dijon Vinaigrette).
- Additional superfoods, including hemp seeds and dates
- Delivery partner services
Moving into 2017, Vitality Bowls plans to lead several new initiatives in addition to franchise development. Other brand objectives for the next year include partnering with additional schools for fundraisers and conducting more research around the sourcing of new superfoods.
“The success achieved in the past year has allowed us to further refine and perfect not only our brand, but also our franchise opportunity,” added Gilad. “We’re eager to continue building a healthy, strong foundation for our brand to build on and can’t wait to see all of the incredible opportunities and franchise partners in 2017.”
As Vitality Bowls expands, the brand is awarding franchise opportunities to qualified individuals who share the company’s vision, who will follow the proven business model and who are driven to succeed. Tailored to owners and operators that place value in the nation’s nutritious food movement, the franchise model provides structure and scalability. Many of the current franchisees began as loyal customers who wanted to be a part of the future of healthy food chains. Franchisees can open up to three stores in a protected territory.
Complete with thorough training, site selection support and marketing programs, the Vitality Bowls’ business model has been cultivated to attract individuals or teams with an ambition to succeed as well as strong values and solid community connections.
To learn more about Vitality Bowls franchise opportunities, visit https://franchise.vitalitybowls.com/ and for more information about the brand, visit the company website at http://vitalitybowls.com.
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