What's Going There: Playa Bowls signs new deals

Playa Bowls, the superfruit bowl chain founded a decade ago in Belmar, is on the move again in Monmouth County as part of a nationwide expansion. The Belmar-based acai bowl company, purchased by private equity firm Sycamore Partners several months ago, has announced that it has signed franchise deals to bring Playa Bowls to locations in Oceanport and Toms River. The exact locations have not been announced.

It's part of a spate of 52 franchise commitments and 11 store openings Playa Bowls said it made in the third quarter.“Our success in 2024 has been remarkable, with over 275 stores nationwide, 75 openings expected this year, and nearly 300 franchise commitments driving our future expansion,” said Jayson Tipp, chief development officer at Playa Bowls, in a statement.“We’re excited to bring Playa Bowls to new markets and make our offerings accessible to consumers nationwide driven by industry-leading performance and demand."