After months of preparation, Playa Bowls has officially opened its 400th restaurant on the Oceanfront.
May 15 marked the first day in business for Playa Bowls in the Virginia Beach community.
“This is incredibly personal for us,” co-owner Robert Hagans said. “I grew up just minutes from here, went to school down the road and spent a lot of time in this area. To now be opening Playa Bowls at Atlantic Park with our family and bringing something new to the place I’ve always called home is really special.”
Beginning with a fridge and patio, Abby Taylor founded Playa Bowls in New Jersey in 2015, which now operates in 30 different states with the help of co-owners Karimah Pagan and Hagans. Hagans was born in Virginia Beach, creating a full circle moment for the company. Thanks to Lizzette Pagan, franchisee, the Virignia Beach location could be fully operational.
“[We began] in Belmont, New Jersey, and wanted to tell the story of the roots of our company as well as its amazing people and small operation,” Taylor said.
Playa Bowls is most notably known for their acai bowls, a smoothie in a bowl with mashed acai that is topped with varying fruits.
Prior to the grand opening, Playa Bowls decided to create a beach clean up program with the 4ocean program on May 14, at 4:00 p.m. Any volunteers that participated in this program received a free acai bowl.
“I started with Playa Bowls in 2015, just a year after the brand was founded, and from the beginning it felt like we were building something people really connected with,” Lizzette Pagan said. “Through social media and in our shops, we’ve been able to have fun with our guests and create a community around food that feels good and fits into their everyday lives. To now be opening the 400th shop with my family, in a place that’s so connected to the ocean and that has an energetic, on-the-go lifestyle, makes this moment incredibly meaningful.”
