In May 2014, Rob Giuliani, 40, and Abby Taylor, 33, began crafting açai bowls from their food cart on the side of Ocean Avenue in Belmar, New Jersey. Inspired by their surf travels in Costa Rica, the two were motivated to bring beachgoers a healthier food option, with their own Jersey twist.
They decided to invest $7,000 into the business and launch in front of a pizzeria and their apartment on the side of the road near the beach. Business was slow to start, but they decided to do some guerrilla marketing and go on the beach to pass out flyers to beachgoers to get the word out. Soon after, long lines started to form in front of the cart and people were enjoying the bowls and smoothies.
It wasn’t until a year later that Giuliani and Taylor were offered a storefront that they would transform into their beachfront paradise. They weren’t charged for the first year, however the building was in bad shape. Rob used his network of friends to help him renovate the space in 17 days, get the approval sticker from the inspector, and open the storefront for Fourth of July weekend.
Playa Bowls, now with around 200 locations across the United States, specializes in bowls and smoothies made from the super fruits açai and pitaya. The chain is valued between $115 million and $150 million with plans for expanding even further in states such as Alabama, Tennessee and Rhode Island.
Note: This story was produced for Fortune Magazine’s The Ground Up series.
