Diners seeking healthy and delicious superfruit bowls and smoothies in Peachtree Corners will soon have a casual, beach-themed restaurant to check out.
Playa Bowls is opening a new location at 5160 Town Center Blvd., Suite 530, in Peachtree Corners. The 1,650-square-foot store is located just off Peachtree Parkway across from The Forum, in the Peachtree Corners Town Center development.
Using only fresh, high quality ingredients, Playa Bowls specializes in superfruit bowls, smoothies and juices with sustainability and community in mind. Menu items include acai, pitaya, chia, and coconut bowls and smoothies and juices.
The Peachtree Corners space is currently being built and franchisee Nick Ransom is looking to be ready in three to four weeks, he said during a phone interview with What Now Atlanta on Tuesday. He’s shooting to be open by the first weekend in April.
Located in the Peachtree Corners Town Center, a “go-to hub” in the heart of town that features shopping and dining options, Playa Bowls will be next to the Town Green, a two-acre event lawn. It’s a great area for the brand, Ransom said.
Ransom, who is also the company’s operations manager, will celebrate five years with Playa Bowls this month.
He started out as a busboy when he was 17 years old and quickly gained more responsibility as he grew professionally.
“I worked my way through the ranks,” he said.
When he first started, Playa Bowls was one of two jobs he held. It seemed like a cool place to work to earn some extra cash, he said. Ransom worked at the one and only location at the time, in Belmar, N.J.
“I really enjoyed working there,” he said. “Both making the products and the vibe of the company.”
He enjoyed it so much, Ransom asked about taking on a management role. By summer, he was managing the Playa Bowls food truck that was right on the boardwalk in Jersey, just a few blocks away from the original Belmar location.
“It was definitely a big learning experience,” he said.
They were working out of a hastily converted burrito truck, Ransom recalled. As summer got busier and busier, serving between 300 and 500 customers a day, they needed to do a full rehab on the vehicle.
“We finally ripped it all out and put it back together,” and then the operation ran smoothly, Ransom said. “I always say you need to make a mistake to learn from it, so I’m kind of happy it happened that way.”
He ran the food truck until Labor Day, then transferred over to manage a new location about an hour away, Playa Bowls’ first in north Jersey. He was a senior in high school (utilizing a work program he was able to balance both school and his newfound career) and the location became one of the company’s busiest.
“I saw the growth potential the company had as they opened up more and more (locations),” Ransom said. “It was like a light switch in my head went off that one day I would love to own one.”
He put it on the back burner, since he was still in high school and didn’t quite have the means to realize his dream just yet, and continued moving up through the Playa Bowls company.
Now 22, he works as the operations manager (although the titles are loose and he wears multiple hats, as does everyone at the small but growing company). He helps open stores across the country, including two in the greater Atlanta area at 5070 Peachtree Blvd. Suite B105, in Chamblee, and the Beltline shop at 661 Auburn Ave., in Atlanta.
“It was great to see how excited the community was when we would come to their town,” he said.
He helps the store owners during the opening process, provides training, and offers post-open support. Ransom has seen the company expand past its Jersey home and into a nationally recognized brand. In November, Playa Bowls opened its 100th location.
“That was a huge milestone for us,” he said. “It grew from one little shop across from the beach to all over the country… I’ve loved being along for the ride.”
There are currently 76 franchise locations and 28 corporate locations. Ransom’s franchise store is looking to be the third in Georgia and 105th total nationwide.
Ransom, born and raised in New Jersey, recently moved to the Brookhaven neighborhood in Atlanta. After opening the other Atlanta area Playa Bowl locations, he fell in love with the city and the lifestyle.
“I thought it would be a good fit for myself,” Ransom said. After making the decision and moving to the city a few months ago, “I’m still loving it.”
He found the store’s Peachtree Corners location in fall and signed the lease in January. Ransom hired a manager for the day-to-day work. He’ll keep his position at the corporate level and, as the franchisee, he’ll be very much involved with the store.
“I’m crossing my fingers and doing a bunch of community outreach to make sure we’re busy when we open,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with other local businesses… and I’m excited to join the community.”
For the moment, he’s focused on opening the Peachtree Corners shop and getting through the busy summer. Although nothing is in the works right now, he’s excited to continue his career path with the company and hopes to open more locations in the future.
“I’m really excited to take this leap in my life,” Ransom said.
