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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a Playa Bowls Franchise

Playa Bowls is a quick-service restaurant franchise built around superfruit bowls in acai, pitaya, mango, green and coconut varieties, served alongside smoothies, juices, oatmeal bowls and cold brew across a menu of more than 40 items. The brand started in 2014 as a roadside acai cart in Belmar, New Jersey, and began franchising in 2016.

The model is built for simple operations. Units run in roughly 1,000 to 1,500 square feet with no fryers, hood or grease trap, and only a few staff are needed per shift. Playa Bowls has grown past 400 locations across about half the United States and positions itself as the leading name in the superfruit bowl category. Its beach-themed “Pineapple Land” branding targets health-focused consumers and supports a large social-media following.

Playa Bowls is owned by private-equity firm Sycamore Partners, which acquired the brand in 2026 from Tamarix Equity Partners, the firm that had backed its national expansion since 2021.

Latest Resales

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Why buy a Playa Bowls Franchise?

Playa Bowls is the category leader in a fast-growing corner of healthy fast food, with a recognisable brand, a loyal customer base and a menu that has travelled well beyond its Jersey Shore roots. For anyone weighing whether to buy a Playa Bowls franchise, the appeal is a streamlined food business in a wellness-driven category that has proved resilient across economic cycles.

The operating model is designed to stay lean: a small footprint, no cooking equipment such as fryers or hoods, and a short staff roster all limit overhead and complexity compared with traditional restaurant concepts. High average tickets and no-cook prep make multi-unit ownership realistic for operators who want to scale, and franchisees gain access to established supply chains, marketing systems and an Instagram-friendly brand that pulls customers in.

Playa Bowls Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      2014

    • Franchising Since

      2016

    • New Startup Cost

      $281,960 – $1,055,594

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $35,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      $10,000

    • Royalty Fee

      6%

      of Gross Sales

    • Marketing Fee

      2%

      of Gross Sales; up to 4%

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      372

    • New Units Opened *

      85

    • Units Transferred *

      19

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $1,117,488

    * Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

Playa Bowls – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Incoming owners receive a 40-hour initial training programme covering operations, marketing, staffing and management, supported by around 11 hours of classroom instruction and 80 hours of on-the-job training. Ongoing support includes profitability coaching, social-media and advertising help, point-of-sale technology and operational guidance for running and growing a unit. Buyers of an existing Playa Bowls shop should confirm with the franchisor what initial and transfer training is provided to incoming ownership and staff, and what POS and system access carries over with the sale.

  2. Ideal Owner

    Playa Bowls suits hands-on, community-minded operators who enjoy customer-facing hospitality and local marketing rather than back-of-house cooking. No restaurant or food experience is required, and the simple, no-cook model is approachable for first-time owners, though the business still rewards strong staff management, consistency and day-to-day operational discipline. The brand looks for owners who fit its upbeat, health-focused culture and are motivated to build local fans, and the easy-to-run format appeals to those planning to grow into multiple units.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Playa Bowls ranked #304 on the 2025 Entrepreneur Franchise 500, up from #461 the prior year, and was named to Franchise Business Review's Top 200 Franchises in 2026. The brand and its founders have also drawn recognition including Forbes 30 Under 30 and Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers & Shakers. Customer sentiment is strong, with an average 4.7-star Google rating across more than 16,000 reviews. For resale buyers, this brand-level recognition should be weighed alongside the individual shop's local reputation, reviews and community standing.

  4. Industry / Market

    Playa Bowls operates in the North American acai market, valued at about $0.47 billion in 2025 and forecast to reach $1.31 billion by 2034, a compound annual growth rate near 12% (Market Data Forecast). Growth is driven by the spread of acai-bowl cafes and smoothie bars, post-workout and meal-replacement use, and wellness-focused younger consumers who share visually appealing food on social media. For resale buyers, this rising demand supports the category, but local performance still depends on neighbourhood demographics, foot traffic and competition.

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