Rush Bowls, a health food restaurant that started in Colorado and sells all-natural bowls including acai and fruit, will be rushing into Berkeley within the next two to three months.
According to Mark Kranjcec, chief marketing officer of Rush Bowls, the company will be opening its first California location in Berkeley at 1935 Addison St. The shop will sell a wide variety of healthy bowls ranging from acai bowls to sweeter “comfort bowls” such as the apple pie a la mode bowl. Although the opening date is still to be determined, Kranjcec said it is estimated to be running within the next 60 to 70 days.
“We are really excited about Berkeley,” Kranjcec said. “This is our first California location. … As a company, we are so excited.”
According to Kenny Noori, franchise owner of the Berkeley store, Berkeley is a favorable location for the first California shop because it is close to a large university campus, and the area usually has heavy foot traffic.
As this is Noori’s first business venture, he said he hopes that he will find success in the area.
“I am putting everything I have into this business,” Noori said. “This is my first time getting in the business world and getting some business of my own.”
Rush Bowls originated near the University of Colorado Boulder, so a business model that serves university students is one that the company is used to, Kranjcec said. He added that the weather in California also could help business because it is warmer and more suitable for their products.
“Our history is centered around college campuses,” Kranjcec said. “That is where we learned to refine our business and learned what made our business successful.”
Rush Bowl’s draw comes from the simplicity of its preparation, according to Kranjcec. It does not require any cooking or grease to make the bowls, so it is healthy to consume and produces minimum waste.
Kranjcec said Rush Bowls caters to “people who value health and see that we make getting your daily requirements for health easy and convenient while you’re on the go.”
According to Kranjcec, the brand was created after Andrew Pudalov, who worked for Wall Street in New York City, decided to move to Colorado with his family and pursue a health-oriented life after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
At the time, hardly anyone in the United States was making acai bowls, Kranjcec said. Although they were gaining popularity in South America and Central America, Pudalov helped start the trend in the United States with his shop in Colorado.
“We blew the doors open and offered to a much wider palate,” Kranjcec said.