SoBol’s Multiple Openings and Franchisee Signings in 2019 Have Set Brand Up for Major Success in 2020

Acai bowl and smoothie brand SoBol was founded in 2014 with the idea of providing customers with a healthy eating option they could enjoy within just minutes of ordering. The brand has since grown to 40 locations along the East Coast, in Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. While SoBol has enjoyed a strong and steady following since its inception, the brand gained a great deal of momentum in 2019, which will translate to a strong start in 2020.

SoBol rolled out a new POS-integrated online ordering system that caters to the increasing consumer demand for a convenient online ordering option for delivery and pick-up. This has truly been a game-changer for the brand, transforming it from a niche eating opportunity to a contender in the QSR space. Since the platform became available, online ordering has gained more traction and average ticket sales are 15 to 20% higher.

The brand has also enjoyed industry recognition this past year: Entrepreneur Magazine recognized SoBol as one of the Top Food Franchises of 2019. The brand came in at No. 12 in the Miscellaneous Quick-Service Restaurants category.

**In terms of franchise development, SoBol is currently in contract to open more than 40 stores in the northeast. The brand signed on new franchisees to open stores in the Connecticut cities of New Haven and Wilton. The New Haven SoBol will be strategically located across the street from Yale University’s medical campus and a block away from the entrance to Yale New Haven Hospital.

SoBol has also signed new franchisees throughout New York City, including the Queens neighborhood of Bay Terrace (which will be the brand’s 31st opening in New York). Early this year, a SoBol location will open in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant.

“SoBol experienced some of our highest growth in 2019, with strategic franchisee signings in both new and existing markets,” President and CEO Jason Mazzarone said. “We also officially got into the online ordering game with the rollout of our new online ordering system, which has garnered tremendously positive feedback from our franchisees and loyal customers. We’re thrilled with the success we’ve seen in 2019 and can’t wait to keep the momentum going in 2020.”

SoBol also scored a major franchise win in 2019 by signing on franchisees to open a restaurant in Chino Hills, California. Located in San Bernardino County, Chino Hills is proximate to Los Angeles County, Orange County and Riverside County, major hubs whose traffic flows will ensure major visibility in the region.

“Not only is Chino Hills a prime place in which to introduce our brand to California, but the opening will also pave the way for future franchisees in the state and region,” Mazzarone said.

By adapting to the changing consumer landscape, conquering new markets that offer high visibility and, of course, offering healthy, fresh acai bowls, SoBol is ready to take the QSR world by storm in 2020.