The Playa Bowls concept is the vision of founders Rob Giuliani and Abby Taylor. Both Jersey Shore natives and long time surfers, Abby and Rob were inspired by chasing summer on surf trips to Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, California, Hawaii, Nicaragua and Panama. Almost every exotic surf town they visited offered their own version of an Acai or Pitaya bowl. It was the perfect meal after a long surf that
didn’t make you feel weighed down. The nutrients give you a natural energy boost and they were instantly hooked on the flavors of these super fruits
When they returned they were inspired and knew they had to share their love for Acai with the masses at the Jersey Shore. At first Abby blended up her favorite bowl combinations for family and friends but Rob persuaded her to think bigger. They decided to open up a pop up stand on 8th Avenue in Belmar in front of the pizza shop they lived above. With extension cords running out of the apartment, two blenders, a fridge and a patio table, Playa Bowls was born. They started with a small menu of just Acai bowls and a few smoothies that included the Dolce Smoothie named after their chocolate lab that frequented the stand daily. They spent long days handing out flyers on the beach and explaining the surf culture and benefits of Acai to beach goers (occasionally taking surf breaks of course!) As word spread of the unique concept and the cool beachy vibe the couple created, lines grew and they knew that they needed more space. They moved into Belmar fitness, a gym that was sitting vacant due to its destruction from superstorm Sandy. They worked night and day to open that location in 21 days and opened on July 4th with a line that seemed to never end. This location would become their flagship store and the start of an exploding business built on hard work and an insanely cool brand that people love!
