Acai bowl franchises sell thick blended bases of frozen acai or pitaya topped with fruit, granola and nut butters, alongside smoothies and often juices, toasts and coffee. The shops are small, fast to serve and busiest from late morning through the afternoon. Some brands started as bowl shops; others are juice bars that made bowls a large part of the menu.
These brands also sit on the wider smoothie and juice franchise costs guide, which compares them with smoothie-only chains.
The acai bowl franchises
Acai bowl shops
| Brand | Cost to open | Locations | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Playa BowlsA Playa Bowls franchisee runs a fast-casual acai bowl and smoothie shop.$282K–$1.06M | $282K–$1.06M | 372 | +209 |
| SoBolA restaurant serving made-to-order acai bowls, fruit bowls, smoothies and other healthy menu items.$226K–$510K | $226K–$510K | 79 | +14 |
| Vitality BowlsA superfood cafe serving acai bowls, smoothies, paninis, toasts, wraps, salads and grain bowls.$203K–$746K | $203K–$746K | 71 | −3 |
| Acai ExpressA fast-casual acai shop serving acai and pitaya bowls, smoothies and breakfast, lunch and snack menus; also offered as a food truck or trailer.$158K–$429K | $158K–$429K | 46 | – |
| Baya BarAn acai cafe serving acai bowls, smoothies, juices, toasts, oatmeal and coffee.$167K–$353K | $167K–$353K | 40 | +19 |
| OakberryAn acai bowl and smoothie shop serving acai bowls with toppings, smoothies and snacks.$100K–$300K | $100K–$300K | 39 | – |
| Oola BowlsA shop serving acai and fruit bowls, smoothies and other functional foods.$309K–$782K | $309K–$782K | 21 | +14 |
| Frutta BowlsA fast-casual cafe serving acai and fruit bowls, smoothies and healthy snacks.$329K–$515K | $329K–$515K | 20 | −13 |
| Tru BowlA fast-casual acai cafe serving bowls, juices, raw blends and other superfoods.$218K–$354K | $218K–$354K | 19 | +14 |
| Bango BowlsA quick-serve restaurant serving acai bowls, salads and other better-for-you food and drinks.$270K–$627K | $270K–$627K | 10 | +3 |
| Bowl BossA fast-casual restaurant serving acai, pitaya and coconut bowls, smoothies, waffles, toasts and coffee.$107K–$586K | $107K–$586K | 7 | +5 |
| Yumberry BowlAn acai bowl and smoothie shop, as a sit-down cafe, walk-up or drive-through, or food truck.$46K–$110K | $46K–$110K | 4 | – |
| Palm BerriesA cafe serving acai and fruit bowls, smoothies and other healthy menu items.$221K–$514K | $221K–$514K | 3 | – |
| SambazonAn acai bowl and smoothie shop serving bowls, smoothies, juices and other healthy foods.$380K–$630K | $380K–$630K | 1 | – |
Juice bars with acai bowls
| Brand | Cost to open | Locations | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nékter Juice BarA Nékter Juice Bar franchisee runs a juice, smoothie and acai bowl bar.$230K–$645K | $230K–$645K | 193 | +17 |
| Clean JuiceAn organic juice bar serving cold-pressed juices, smoothies, açaí bowls and toasts.$275K–$576K | $275K–$576K | 119 | – |
| Juice It Up!A juice and smoothie bar serving smoothies, fresh juices and açaí bowls.$236K–$514K | $236K–$514K | 84 | – |
| Pure GreenA juice bar serving cold-pressed juices, smoothies, acai bowls and superfood toasts.$177K–$494K | $177K–$494K | 51 | – |
| 3 NativesA health food restaurant serving fruit smoothies, cold-pressed juices, acai bowls, salads and wraps.$309K–$524K | $309K–$524K | 47 | +28 |
| Kale Me CrazyA superfood cafe selling smoothies, pressed juices, acai bowls, salads, wraps and toast.$310K–$493K | $310K–$493K | 24 | – |
| Vita CaneA juice bar serving fresh sugarcane drinks and acai bowls.$156K–$428K | $156K–$428K | 3 | – |
| RobeksA smoothie and juice shop serving fresh-blended smoothies, juices, acai bowls and snacks.$299K–$539K | $299K–$539K | – | – |
What acai bowl franchises cost to open
The typical brand here costs $228K at the low end of its estimate and $515K at the high end. The lowest starting cost is Yumberry Bowl’s, from $46K. Use each brand’s full range for budgeting: the low end is a small site in a cheaper market.
| Kind | Brands | Typical cost to open |
|---|---|---|
| Acai bowl shops | 14 | $219K–$514K |
| Juice bars with acai bowls | 8 | $255K–$519K |
A bowl shop is a small retail build-out with heavy refrigeration: freezers for frozen fruit packs, blenders and a topping line. The build-out is most of the bill; the equipment is modest next to a restaurant kitchen.
Fees and royalties
The typical franchise fee is $35K and the typical royalty 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. Royalties come off sales before rent, wages or loan payments. The fees and royalties guide compares industries.
What locations sell
Of these brands, 10 publish a comparable yearly sales figure per location; the typical one is $574K. Sales are before costs, so they say nothing on their own about profit.
| Brand | Yearly sales | Sales ÷ cost |
|---|---|---|
| Playa Bowls2025, 223 locations | $1.12M | 1.7× |
| Robeks52 weeks ended December 28, 2025, 81 locations | $653K | 1.6× |
| Pure Green2024, 23 locations | $627K | 1.9× |
| 3 Natives2025, 22 locations | $602K | 1.4× |
| Juice It Up!2022, 70 locations | $586K | 1.6× |
| Vitality Bowls2025 | $562K | 1.2× |
| SoBol2025, 62 locations | $533K | 1.5× |
| Acai Express2022, 28 locations | $516K | 1.8× |
| Frutta Bowlsfiscal 2025 (year to September 28, 2025), 15 locations | $514K | 1.2× |
| Nékter Juice Bar2025, 147 locations | $493K | 1.1× |
Which acai bowl franchises are growing
Of the 11 brands with three years of location figures, 9 grew from 2023 to 2025 and 2 shrank, a net change of +307 locations between them. The typical one lost 2.7% of its franchised locations a year to closures, terminations and non-renewals, against 3.0% across all franchises. On the SBA Franchise Directory are 13 of the 22, so SBA-backed loans are open to them.
One passes all five tests of the best franchises to own ranking: Playa Bowls.
Before you buy
Frozen acai is imported and priced in dollars per pound that move with harvests and freight, and it is usually bought through the brand’s own supplier. Ask what share of each bowl’s price goes to ingredients and packaging, and how prices changed over the last few years. Sales lean toward warm months and toward locations near gyms, beaches and campuses; ask for monthly sales from shops in a climate like yours.
Questions
Are acai bowl shops seasonal?
Somewhat. Cold frozen bowls sell best in warm weather, so shops in northern states see slower winters, and many brands add coffee, toasts, oatmeal and warm items to hold up sales. Shops in warm states and near campuses and gyms are steadier. Ask a brand for monthly sales by region before choosing a site.
What is the food cost of an acai bowl?
Usually a larger share of the price than for a smoothie, because frozen acai, fresh fruit and toppings are costly and portions are big. Ask owners for food and packaging cost as a share of sales, and how much waste from fresh fruit adds to it, since that decides the margin more than the menu price.