Playa Bowls coming to The Terminal in Pittsburgh's Strip District
Playa Bowls is coming to Pittsburgh.
Described as a “superfruit bowl shop,” it is planning to open its first location in this area sometime this summer at The Terminal in the Strip District. Playa Bowls’ menu has more than 40 items and includes acai (berries), pitaya and mango bowls.
Playa Bowls will also serve juices, cold brew coffee and more in the 1,943-square-foot space planned to open at 1707 Smallman St. There will be some gluten-free options.
Prices will start at $12 for the bowls and $6 for smoothies.
This franchise location is co-owned by cousins Brandon Minnick and John Bongiorno, who are Erie natives. According to a news release, they plan to hire 35 to 50 people.
The company was founded by Robert Giuliani and Abby Taylor, both New Jersey natives. Taylor grew up in Ocean Township surfing the beaches of Monmouth County, while Giuliani grew up surfing in Ocean County.
During their travels, they tried acai and pitaya, which is a fruit of several different cactus species, in bowls and decided to recreate their own inspired by the Jersey Shore. They set up a stand on the sidewalk of a pizza shop in Belmar, N.J.
There are more than 200 shops nationwide encompassing 22 states. The fresh ingredients come from all over world — acai is from Brazil, pitaya from Nicaragua, coconut from Thailand and mangoes from India.
“It’s a nice blend of a healthy, refreshing snack or meal,” said Minnick. “We source the simplest and freshest ingredients from all over the world to provide a healthy, consistent product.”
Everything is made to order.
“We want to provide a nice and quick fun vibe of the beach life option in the heart of the Steel City,” said Minnick, who has family in Western Pennsylvania. His oldest son recently graduated from the University of Pittsburgh.
Playa Bowls will join Novo Asian Food Hall, which opened in March, and Shake Shack, a popular hamburger chain, which opened in May.
The Novo Asian Food Hall features seven authentic dining concepts from Korean delicacies to Vietnamese street food.
Minnick said locating in The Terminal was an easy decision because of the history of the Strip District and The Terminal being a perfect complement to the area.
“The Pittsburgh food scene has a tough blue-collar background and we want to be part of this community,” Minnick said. “We call them beach bowls, but in Pittsburgh they might be called river bowls — or bridge bowls sounds good, too.”
Hours will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Sunday.
Details: playabowls.com
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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