Brands Winning at Franchise Growth: SoBol

SoBol offers franchisees an opportunity to take advantage of the increasingly popular health-food segment of the fast-casual market. Today’s consumers are more conscious about their diets than ever before, and the foodservice industry is evolving rapidly to meet shifting preferences. Açai bowls was voted one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Hottest Franchise Categories of 2020, and last year, Entrepreneur Magazine named SoBol one of the Top Food Franchises of 2019.

Inspired by his family’s successful ice house, Jason Mazzarone created his acai bowl and smoothie business in 2012, started franchising just last year, and it  has since grown to over 40 locations along the east coast, with their first west-coast location in Chino Hills, CA opening this month. 

SoBol’s menu includes smoothies and açai bowls created with fresh fruit and topped with nut butters, seeds, fruit and the brand’s proprietary homemade granola. 

SoBol also stands out among its competitors by keeping the menu simple and customizable while offering healthier toppings. 

“Our competitors will have 20 bowls with funny names, but we say, ‘Here are our bases and here are our toppings and you can customize a million ways,’ ” Mazzarone said.

Mazzarone says SoBol isn’t just for health-nuts, but also for anyone who just want something tasty to eat. 

“Our customer is everyone,” he said. “An açai bowl is a delicious product, but it also makes you feel decent after you eat it. A lot of QSR food makes you feel sluggish after, whereas ours gives you the opportunity to fill your belly with healthy nutrients to get you to your next meal and keep you feeling energized.” 

Besides being able to cater to a wide range of consumers, the brand has put efficiency at the forefront of their growth plans. They rolled out a new POS-integrated online ordering system that allows for more convenient online ordering for delivery and pick-up, providing their customers more flexibility. Since implementation, Mazzarone says average ticket sales are 15 to 20 percent higher, operations are more streamlined with less human error and operational costs have decreased. 

SoBol’s operational simplicity allows owners with little to no restaurant experience to grow their business quickly and successfully. Not only does the streamlined ingredient list keep inventory simple, the brand offers an extensive training program for franchisees that consists of a week of very specific, hands-on training before a store opens. 

Mazzarone also notes that many new owners are friends or family of existing owners, which likely contributes to the brand’s impressive growth. Franchisees are developing personal relationships with the brand, and those relationships are bringing new organic leads to the franchise.. 

“We care about our franchisees, staff and customer base,” Mazzarone said. “If you care, you have a much better chance of being successful. We don’t believe we’re a trend. We believe we’re here to stay in the segment as a healthy alternative to breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks or dessert. There is other competition doing açai bowls, but they don’t have every pillar we have.”