Playa Bowls Opens First International Shop

Playa Bowls, the United States’ leading superfruit bowl shop with more than 400 locations across the United States, opened the doors of its first international shop at The Well in downtown Toronto to officially launch the brand’s entry into the Canadian market.

The landmark opening represents a significant next chapter for the New Jersey-born franchise as it accelerates its growth beyond the U.S. through a master franchise agreement with Eat Up Canada Inc., the restaurant development group leading Playa Bowls’ expansion across Canada.

Located within The Well, Toronto’s premier mixed-use destination at the vibrant intersection of Spadina Avenue and Front Street, the 1,700-square-foot flagship shop introduces Canadian guests to Playa Bowls’ refreshing menu of acai bowls, pitaya bowls, smoothies, cold brew and other better-for-you offerings served in a laid-back, beach-inspired atmosphere.

Canadian market entry

“Opening our first international location is a defining moment for Playa Bowls and an important step in our long-term growth strategy,” said John Cappasola, CEO of Playa Bowls. “Toronto is an extremely dynamic and diverse city, making it the ideal place to introduce our brand to Canada’s sophisticated restaurant market and guests seeking distinctive health-forward concepts. George, Alex and the Eat Up Canada team have an exceptional track record of building restaurant brands in this market, and we’re confident they will help us grow Playa Bowls while preserving the authenticity and guest experience that have fueled our success.”

Led by restaurant industry veterans George Heos and Alex Gerzon, Eat Up Canada brings decades of experience in franchising and restaurant operations. The pair previously built a 50-unit Firehouse Subs portfolio in Canada and currently lead the expansion of Pokeworks throughout the country. Their experience also includes leadership roles with major restaurant brands including KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Boston Pizza and Recipe Unlimited.

The Toronto flagship is the first step in an ambitious nationwide development plan. Under the master franchise agreement, Eat Up Canada plans to develop more than 160 Playa Bowls locations across Canada over the coming years.

National expansion plans

The Canadian rollout is already gaining momentum. A second Playa Bowls location is scheduled to open in late July at 197 North Queen Street in Etobicoke, Ontario, and Eat Up Canada, Inc. plans to open an additional two to three franchised shops by the end of 2026. Early development projections call for five to 10 new locations across Canada in 2027.

“We’ve seen tremendous excitement from landlords, brokers and prospective franchise owners since announcing Playa Bowls’ arrival in Canada,” said George Heos, co-founder of Eat Up Canada Inc. “Even before opening our flagship shop, we’ve received franchise interest unlike anything we’ve experienced with previous concepts and are already actively working with more than six potential local franchise owners. Canadian guests are increasingly seeking fresh, health-focused dining options, and we believe Playa Bowls is uniquely positioned to meet that demand.”

Recently recognized among Yelp’s “Fastest Growing Brands” of 2026, Playa Bowls is actively seeking passionate franchise owners in Canada and in the U.S. Learn more about franchising opportunities in Canada at playabowlscanada.ca/franchising and in the U.S. at franchise.playabowls.com.