Playa Bowls Opens 400th Shop in Virginia Beach

Playa Bowls, the vibrant superfruit bowl and smoothie shop rooted in a love for the ocean, shaped by surf culture, and built on fresh, high-quality ingredients, is celebrating a major milestone with the debut of its 400th shop on Friday, May 15, at Atlantic Park in Virginia Beach.

Located at 1900 Pacific Ave., Suite 146, the new shop sits steps from Atlantic Park Surf, North America’s first Wavegarden Cove surf lagoon, and The Dome by Rutter Mills, setting the stage for a high-energy opening weekend. To kick off the grand opening on Friday at 11 a.m., the first 100 guests will receive a free bowl and a custom Playa Bowls t-shirt, accompanied by various giveaways of Playa merchandise throughout the day.

Locally owned and operated by Playa Bowls franchise owner Lizzette Pagan alongside her daughter Karimah and son-in-law Robert Hagans, the shop represents a professional achievement and a full-circle moment for the family.

“I started with Playa Bowls in 2015, just a year after the brand was founded, and from the beginning it felt like we were building something people really connected with,” said Lizzette. “Through social media and in our shops, we’ve been able to have fun with our guests and create a community around food that feels good and fits into their everyday lives. To now be opening the 400th shop with my family, in a place that’s so connected to the ocean and that energetic, on-the-go lifestyle, makes this moment incredibly meaningful.”

For Robert, a Virginia Beach native who grew up just miles from Atlantic Park, and Karimah, who has long been connected to the Playa Bowls family through her mother’s journey as an early franchise owner, the opportunity to open this shop together carries special significance.

“This is incredibly personal for us,” said Robert. “I grew up just minutes from here, went to school down the road, and spent a lot of time in this area. To now be opening Playa Bowls at Atlantic Park with our family and bringing something new to the place I’ve always called home is really special.”

Ahead of the grand opening, the Playa Bowls Atlantic Park team will host a community beach cleanup on Thursday, May 14, in partnership with 4ocean, a purpose-driven cleanup business dedicated to ending the ocean plastic crisis, to give back to the Virginia Beach community and the coastline that reflects the brand’s ocean roots. The one-hour volunteer event begins at 4 p.m.

At the heart of Playa Bowls’ menu is acai (ah-sigh-EE), a small but mighty purple berry sourced directly from the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and known for its rich, fruity flavor with a hint of chocolate. Packed with antioxidants, fiber, and vitamin C, acai supports overall wellness by helping protect the body from everyday stress, supporting gut health, and delivering sustained energy.

Beyond acai, guests at Playa Bowls can choose from a wide variety of superfruit bases or build their own bowls, with blends featuring pitaya, coconut, kale, banana, oatmeal, and mango. Bowls are finished with fresh-cut fruits, seeds, nuts, granola, dried berries, and drizzles like nut butter, allowing guests to customize each order to their taste and lifestyle. The shop also offers smoothies, cold brew, and grab-and-go options, with many menu items easily adaptable to vegan, gluten-friendly, Whole30, Keto, and Paleo preferences, along with protein-forward options for GLP-1 guests.

To learn more about Playa Bowls Atlantic Park, visit www.playabowls.com and follow the brand at @playabowlsatlanticpark on Instagram for the latest news.