Franchise Deep Dive: Playa Bowls Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data

With more than 200 locations across the United States, this smoothie and bowl franchise has come a long way from its Jersey Shore roots.

By Victoria CampisiStaff Writer

1:13PM • 01/31/24

LAST UPDATED: 1/2024

FRANCHISE WEBSITE: https://www.playabowls.com/franchise

NUMBER OF LOCATIONS: 230+

REPORTED COST TO GET IN: $188,675 - $465,058

REPORTED ROI (Item 19): N/A

Playa Bowls is a quick service restaurant (QSR) franchise known for its offering of acai bowls and smoothies. The concept originated in Belmar, New Jersey, in 2014.

How Many Playa Bowls Locations Are There?

Playa Bowls was founded by Robert Giuliani and Abby Taylor, both surfers from the Jersey Shore, who were inspired by their surf trips to various exotic locations where acai and pitaya bowls were popular. They decided to recreate these bowls with their own twist at home in New Jersey. They started by setting up a makeshift pop-up stand outside a pizza shop they lived above in Belmar with just a blender, a patio table, a fridge, and a freezer.

As demand grew, they expanded their business and now, after nine years, Playa Bowls has over 230 stores nationwide. As of January 2024, 203 of those locations are franchises and 28 are corporate owned.

What Is the Playa Bowls Business Model?

The Playa Bowls business model revolves around providing healthy and environmentally responsible food options while fostering community engagement and franchise growth. The brand emphasizes social and environmental responsibility, aligning with the growing trend of prioritizing physical and environmental health in the juice and smoothie industry.

Playa Bowls supports its franchisees with top-down guidance and assistance, recognizing the importance of strong local businesses in building communities. Additionally, Playa Bowls offers catering services and promotes customer engagement through its Playa Rewards program, further enhancing its focus on customer satisfaction and community involvement.

Playa Bowls does not provide many details about its model on its website. However, Entrepreneur Magazine lists these as the brand’s key elements of training and support.

Franchisee Training: Franchisees receive thorough training, both on-the-job (18 hours) and classroom (23+ hours) to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to run their Playa Bowls locations.
Ongoing Support: Playa Bowls offers ongoing support in the form of purchasing co-ops, meetings and conventions, grand opening support, online support tools, lease negotiations, field operations, site selection, a franchisee intranet platform, and marketing and website support to help franchisees manage and grow their businesses effectively.

How Much Can Playa Bowls Franchise Owners Make?

Earnings for Playa Bowl franchisees are not publicly available. Vetted Biz reports that, in 2020, Playa Bowl had franchise revenues of $2.9 million. Assuming this amount is 6% of total franchise sales for 2020, that would work out to an average of roughly $660,000 per location.

How Much Does It Cost to Open a Playa Bowls?

Data from Entrepreneur shows that the investment range to open a Playa Bowls franchise is $188,675 - $465,058.

Net Worth Requirement: $2,400,000
Cash Requirement: $10,000 - $40,000
Royalty Fee: 6%
Ad Royalty Fee: 2%

What Is the Franchise Fee for Playa Bowls?

The franchise fee is $35,000.

Who Is the Leadership of Playa Bowls?

What Helpful Articles Can I Read to Learn More About Playa Bowls?

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