Belmar-based Playa Bowls recently announced that 2023 marked a significant year of development success in the brand’s history. The nation’s leading superfruit bowl shop also said it signed 110 franchise commitments throughout the nation as it continues its upward trajectory into 2024.
The brand said its national expansion is complemented by a 7.2% transaction growth in 2023, leading to a double-digit increase in comparable store sales.
“2023 was a momentous year for Playa Bowls. We’ve substantially increased our national presence, surpassing over 200 locations across the nation,” CEO Dan Harmon said. “The growth isn’t slowing down any time soon. Playa Bowls has signed numerous development commitments that have set the brand up for a strong start in 2024. Along with new shops, we’re also looking forward to launching new menu items and partnerships this year to continue providing our customers with fresh and exciting superfruit creations.”
To support the accelerated growth of the brand and its operators, Playa Bowls strategically expanded its leadership team in 2023 with the appointments of Harmon as CEO, Nicolle DuBose as chief marketing officer and Jayson Tipp as interim chief development officer.
Harmon’s appointment marked a pivotal moment for the brand in 2023, as Playa Bowls surpassed 200 shops nationwide. He intends to continue to build upon the brand’s unique strengths and assume responsibility for accelerating overall growth strategies and performance.
DuBose brings over 20 years of industry marketing expertise to the brand, promising an exciting future for Playa Bowls in 2024 and beyond. DuBose stepped in to further enhance Playa Bowls’ marketing efforts, including brand strategy, digital marketing, social media and customer engagement initiatives.
Underscoring Playa Bowls’ commitment to brand growth, Playa Bowls welcomed Tipp in September to spearhead franchise development. Tipp’s C-level experience in both marketing and development has helped the brand articulate the franchise value proposition, launch multiunit development and accelerate brand growth.
Additionally, in 2023, Playa Bowls continued and pursued partnerships with other leading brands, including Chobani and Vital Proteins, to further enhance its menu with new customer-driven creations. This resulted in both permanent and limited-time items that overall were a success among customers.
