Photo by Alexandria Living Magazine
A Playa Bowls will open on King Street in Old Town Alexandria.
Renovations are underway at 1229 King St., in Old Town Alexandria, for a new Playa Bowls restaurant.
The menu features juices and cold brews, smoothies and bowls, with an option to add extra protein and some featuring Acai. Acai (ah-sigh-EE) is a nutrient-dense dark purple berry, harvested from palm trees in the Amazon rainforest.
Considered a "superfood," it is low in sugar and high in antioxidants, healthy fats and fiber. Due to its short shelf life, it is commonly consumed frozen, in powders or in thick smoothie bowls.
The most popular item on the menu is the Nutella Acai Bowl, which features Acai, granola, strawberries, banana, coconut and Nutella.
The tropical flavors play into the name of the eatery. "Playa" means "beach" in Spanish. Here's a bit about how it got the name, and the beginnings of the eatery, from its website:
"The Playa Bowls™ concept is the vision of founders Robert Giuliani and Abby Taylor — both Jersey Shore natives & longtime surfers. Abby grew up in Ocean Township surfing the beaches of Monmouth County, while Rob grew up surfing in Ocean County.
Photo by Alexandria Living Magazine
The Nutella Acai Bowl is the most popular item on the menu at Playa Bowls, opening this year in Alexandria.
They were inspired by chasing summer on surf trips to Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, California & Hawaii. Almost every exotic surf town they visited offered their own unique version of an acai or pitaya bowl. They decided to recreate their favorite recipes with their own twist at home at the Jersey Shore.
They made a deal with the owner of the pizza shop they lived above on 8th Avenue in Belmar, NJ. They bought a blender, a patio table, a fridge and a freezer and set up a makeshift pop up stand on the sidewalk in front of the pizza shop.
They spent a lot of time and effort telling their story and educating customers on the benefits of acai. As word spread of this creative and intuitive pop up stand, more and more people stood in line on the side of Ocean Avenue to see what Playa Bowls was all about. Rob and Abby realized it was time to take their growing business to the next level. Fast forward 11 years and here we are, sharing our story and passion at over 300 shops nation wide."
