Bowl of Heaven, an upstart concept that serves açaí bowls, smoothies, and cold pressed juices featuring plant protein and superfood ingredients that are sugar- and dairy-free, announced the signing of a new franchise deal for San Diego.
Bowl Of Heaven partnered with Fransmart, the franchise development company responsible for the explosive growth of brands like Five Guys and Qdoba Mexican Grill, to expand the brand through franchising.
The new franchisee, Craig Shugert, managing director of Legacy Life Ventures, worked with Fransmart director of development Jolly Khabrani on securing the San Diego territory, and has established an aggressive multi-store rollout with the first store opening in early 2015. Shugert is targeting health-conscious California communities like Carmel Valley, Scripps Ranch, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, and beach communities, where he’s confident the all-natural ingredients of Bowl Of Heaven’s products will go over well.
Shugert is a dynamic and strategically focused leader with an entrepreneurial mindset and a formidable record of building companies. With more than 20 years of experience with consumer and food products, he is excited to grow Bowl Of Heaven to be the largest fast-casual, healthy restaurant chain in San Diego.
“Bowl of Heaven is the most exciting healthy, fast-casual restaurant concept I have ever experienced,” Shugert says. “After having my own health scare and realizing the health benefits of antioxidant rich açaí bowl meals with vegan protein as an alternative to a hamburger for lunch, I was sold.”
Shugert, who has been a runner up in the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year contest, also recognizes a huge and growing market for healthy diners who are looking for the vegan and gluten-free superfoods, which Bowl Of Heaven delivers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. “I am hopeful that health plans will start rewarding consumers for eating great tasting healthy foods like ours,” he says.
Bowl Of Heaven is expanding across the country through a combination of company and franchise owned stores, starting with its home state of California, where it has already signed other franchise deals for both Northern and Southern California and Santa Clara and Orange Counties, and recently opened a new company store in Newport Beach.