“If there were ten people in here, nine take photos of their bowls before they eat them,” says Sue Dale, who owns Playa Bowls' Bethlehem and Easton locations with her husband, Jim. There's no questioning why the bright, colorful and totally Insta-worthy bowls have what Dale describes as a “crazy cult following.” She mainly accredits the popularity to social media, where people have scrolled past the bowls again and again. With Playa Bowls now in their own backyards, they get to be a part of the craze—and, of course, post about it.
Their most popular dish, according to Dale, is the Nutella, an açaí-based bowl that's topped with granola, banana, strawberry, coconut shavings and Nutella drizzle. A close second? The Electric Mermaid, pictured here, which is a pitaya-based bowl that's topped with granola, banana and honey. “People love the summery vibe of the mermaid bowl,” she says, adding that fresh fruit is delivered daily, and never precut.
The majority of their customers order the same thing each time they come in, but others are working their way through the menu, which is no easy feat. Bowls range from açaí, coconut and pitaya to chia pudding, green and oatmeal. They also serve smoothies, juices and coffee. And specials are always popping up—in anticipation of the big game, they offered “Super Bowls,” available in both Eagles and Patriots variations. “Stupid Cupid” was once a Valentine's Day bowl that was such a hit, it became a permanent offering.
Clearly there's always an excuse to celebrate with a smoothie bowl, but Sue and Jim got hooked during their summers at the Jersey Shore. They became such big fans, they wanted to bring the franchise to the Valley. It's been “way better than we anticipated,” she says of the franchise's success. The first Playa Bowls to open in a college town, Lehigh and Lafayette students are completely obsessed, hosting meetings at the stores and partnering with them for fundraisers and events. (PSA, LU students: they accept GoldPLUS).
Having tried other smoothie bowl variations throughout the area, Dale admits it's
just not the same, “Playa Bowls has it down.”
310 E. 3rd St., Bethlehem | 610.419.4294 | 16 N. 3rd St., Easton | 610.417.3693 | playabowls.com
