Playa Bowls Opening In West Hartford w/ Bowls & Smoothies Galore

West Hartford, Connecticut is about to get a bowl full of sunshine with the opening of PLAYA BOWLS in Blue Back Square this November. Serving up bowls and smoothies made from açaí, pitaya, coconut, greens, chia, banana, and oatmeal, Playa Bowls uses the freshest high-quality ingredients, with sustainability and community in mind.

Furthermore, on Opening Day (exact date and time to be announced in the coming weeks on instagram at @playabowlsweha), the first 50 people in line will get a FREE bowl or smoothie of their choice!

Founded in 2014 as a pop-up, food-cart on the Jersey Shore- complete with blender and umbrella - Playa Bowls is now one of the nation's fastest-growing companies, sweeping the East Coast with almost 80 locations. The restaurant will be perfectly situated in the former Potbelly space between CycleBar and New York Sports Club in Blue Back Square.

Playa Bowls’ West Hartford Co-Owners, Mitch Jackson and Mike Bogdan - both business professionals and long-time friends - believe this collaboration promises to fill a growing need for family-oriented and health-conscious meal options in West Hartford. The owners are looking forward to hiring over 30 local employees and engaging the community to spread their healthy message. 

“After graduating from UConn, I have spent the last dozen years in the West Hartford area, and I am aware that the community likes to support businesses that are environmentally conscious and engaged with local efforts,” says Jackson. “Knowing that Playa Bowls focuses on healthy and sustainable living, the opportunity to open this branch in a like-minded community was a perfect fit.”

In that vein, Playa Bowls has a deep-rooted commitment to sustainability efforts. Serving ware is made from Ingeo, a plant-based recyclable plastic, stores are built using reclaimed wood and materials, custom made live-edge wood tables, and all new Playa Bowls locations are built with 100% LED lighting technology.

“I have been enjoying these delicious bowls for years,” says Mike Bogdan, Playa Bowls West Hartford co-owner.  “My old roommate and good friend Rob Giuliani is the co-founder of Playa Bowls, and I was one of the many people that would wait in the huge line at his umbrella stand every weekend at the Jersey Shore.  I grew up in West Hartford and Simsbury, and when Rob started talking about expanding into Connecticut, I knew that I wanted to be involved, and had a perfect local partner in Mitch. Mitch and I met at the UConn School of Business and have been good friends ever since.  It took one phone call to get him on board.”

No strangers to the bustling and ever-growing foodie scene in West Hartford, both Jackson and Bogdan are excited to share why Playa Bowls is unlike other “smoothie bowl” concepts out there.

“Playa Bowls goes the literal extra mile to get a custom açaí blend straight from Brazil that no one else has access to.  Our Playa Açaí blend has less fillers and about 50% more pulp than other brands in the industry. This sets us apart from the rest, and you can tell after the very first bite” Mitch Jackson says. 

The team looks forward to building community relationships and hopes to partner with local gyms, charitable organizations, and schools in the near future all with the aim of “giving back and grubbing out!” To learn more about PLAYA BOWLS food and the founders’ stories visit www.playabowls.com or visit on Instagram @playabowlsweha and @playabowls. Playa Bowls plans to be open 7 days a week from 8 AM to 8 PM, and later during the summer months. 

Photo Credit: Playa Bowls