--- title: "A Retooled Playa Bowls Goes Beyond 400 Locations" url: https://burnaze.com/article/038dc8cc-801d-4e05-bccd-d145aeb8f8a5 source: "QSR Magazine" original_url: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/a-retooled-playa-bowls-goes-beyond-400-locations/ author: "Danny Klein" category: "Beverage & juice" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Beverage & juice" published: 2026-07-20T14:44:51.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T13:16:31.075Z image: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/P1.png --- # A Retooled Playa Bowls Goes Beyond 400 Locations **TL;DR:** Playa Bowls has reached over 400 locations with 81 new restaurants in 2025, and has signed over 200 franchise commitments for 2026. The chain has undergone significant leadership changes, including the promotion of Jayson Tipp to chief growth officer and the appointment of Tim Hackbardt as CMO. *By Danny Klein, originally published in QSR Magazine on 2026-07-20. [Read the original](https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/a-retooled-playa-bowls-goes-beyond-400-locations/).* ## Key facts - Playa Bowls has over 400 locations - 81 net new restaurants in 2025 - 200 signed franchise commitments in 2026 ## Story Playa Bowls in May announced a crop of leadership moves as it eyed a growth milestone. Ahead of store No. 400 and beyond, it promoted former Pokeworks CMO Jayson Tipp from CDO to chief growth officer. It then brought in Patrick Turek, SVP of development at Freddy’s, into the vacant spot. Tim Hackbardt, a 30-year industry vet who has headed up marketing at concepts like Del Taco, Inspire Brands (Arby’s), and BJ’s Restaurants, was named CMO after working with Playa Bowls in recent months. Mark Foulds, with stops from Inspire to Walk-On’s, was appointed VP of Digital Marketing. Founder Abby Taylor remained in her capacity as chief creative officer. The changes completed the leadership team for CEO John Cappasola, who took over in January 2025. The ex-Nothing Bundt Cakes and Del Taco CEO (he worked with Hackbardt during this stint) served as an independent director on Playa Bowls’ board going back to September 2024. He advised the concept even earlier (January 2023–January 2025). Cappasola sat on the board since an investment fund managed by Walgreens-backer Sycamore Partners acquired a controlling interest in Playa Bowls in late August 2024. The chain had roughly 250 locations at the time. Tamarix Equity Partners, which invested in July 2021 when there were 26 corporate and 87 franchised restaurants, oversaw development of more than 150 franchised stores. Julie Klinger, formerly COO of Nothing Bundt Cakes (also crossing over during Cappasola’s time), was named to the position in January 2025, too. CFO Anthony Reaman, who clocked time at Luna Grill and Corner Bakery Café, joined in March. Christine Johnson, once COO of La Madeleine, came on as general counsel five months later in July 2025. ## Leadership changes In sum, there was a lot of leadership activity during a busy 2025 for the 2014-founded brand. And that’s continued. Playa Bowls was second only to Cinnabon regarding net growth last year among *QSR’s Contenders* for 2026 (full list releasing in August). It lifted by net 81 restaurants to close 2025 at 372. The franchised side bumped by 80 to get to 342. Corporate climbed one (as it has for three straight years) to exit at 30 units. Playa Bowls in the past three years has expanded by 53, 75, and 81 stores, respectively, to stretch from 163 to 372 restaurants. The 400th shop arrived May 15 at Virginia Beach’s Atlantic Park. It was opened by Lizzette Paga, a franchisee who’s been with the brand since 2015. Store No. 200 landed in August 2023. So, Playa Bowls took about 33 months to double in size. The chain said it entered 2026 with more than 200 signed franchise commitments and had inked 32 multi-unit deals over a matter of “several months.” Seventy percent of commitments stemmed from existing owners. ## Growth and expansion These deals covered markets like Virginia, Wisconsin, Nevada, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Indiana, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Cleveland, Houston, Memphis, Charlotte, Milwaukee, and Washington, D.C. This year also promises Playa Bowls’ debut across Midwestern and Western states. In 2025, the fast casual had breakthrough entries into Dallas and Houston, Texas; Nashville; Salt Lake City; Burlington, Vermont; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Syracuse, New York; Portland, Maine; Rochester, New York; Kansas City, Kansas; and Norfolk, Virginia. To the earlier point, there’s still a lot of the country to cover. New Jersey (founders Taylor and Rob Guiliani are Jersey Shore natives who started the brand as a makeshift roadside cart and pop-up stand in Belmar), boasts the most locations at 65, taking the number up from 51 over the past three years. New York is next at 45 (growth from 32), Florida at 34 (jump from 14), Pennsylvania at 27 (from 18), and Massachusetts and Maryland with 18 apiece (growth from nine to 18 and 11 to 18, respectively). The other double-digit franchised markets include Connecticut (12), Georgia (14), Michigan (13), and Texas (12). Development in 2025 comprised 85 openings, one termination (its first in the past three years), one store reacquired by the company, and three that ceased operations for other reasons. Playa Bowls has ceased just four franchised stores while opening 212 over this stretch alongside the one termination. No corporate units have closed. As for 2026, Playa Bowls believes it will bring 64 new franchised outlets to market, including 10 in Florida and seven in Texas. No company locations are planned. It also claims 97 franchise agreements signed without an outlet opened yet, led by those states as well (Florida 14 and Texas 11). Twenty-five states should get a new Playa Bowls this year. During 2025, Playa Bowls had 30 operational company stores. Of those, 26 classified as “traditional.” The highest-earning store posted gross sales of $2.024 million. The lowest, $565,301. A not “traditional” Playa Bowls represents seasonal restaurants and non-traditional ones, like an airport or mall. On the franchised side, Playa Bowls had 250 locations and 223 qualified as “traditional.” The top performer reeled in $2.543 million and the lowest, $423,386. Comparing to 2022, when Playa Bowls had 98 franchised stores and 86 qualifying, the average figure shifted from $1.194 million to $1.117 million in 2025. The typical square footage of a Playa Bowls ranges 1,500–2,000. The total investment necessary to begin operation under a franchise agreement is $281,960–$1.056 million. That includes $60,000 paid to the franchisor or its affiliates. The total investment under a multi-unit development agreement is $316,960 for three shop locations to $1.301 million for 15. That includes $95,000 for three to $305,000 for 15 paid to the company. Playa Bowls posted total revenues of $26,996,304 in 2025, up from $22,879,646 in 2024 and $15,571,431 in 2023. The chain generated U.S. systemwide sales of $332 million in 2025. That was $296 million in 2024. It also signed its first Canadian lease in April with Eat Up Canada, a group that built a 50-unit Firehouse Subs portfolio and is current directing development for Pokeworks. Playa Bowls expects to make its international debut this spring with a 1,700-square-foot shop within indoor-outdoor mixed-use Toronto development The Well. The deal calls for more than 160 Playa Bowls in the coming years. ## Entities - unit expansion (topic) - QSR (sector) - franchise growth (topic) - QSR Magazine (publication) - restaurant industry (topic) - private equity (topic) - Danny Klein (person) - Toronto (location) - leadership changes (topic) - Playa Bowls (company) - Virginia Beach (location) - Tim Hackbardt (person) --- Originally reported by Danny Klein, QSR Magazine (https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/a-retooled-playa-bowls-goes-beyond-400-locations/). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/038dc8cc-801d-4e05-bccd-d145aeb8f8a5).