Colliers Lansing helps secure space for Playa Bowls
EAST LANSING, Mich. — A new East Lansing quick-serve restaurant will offer fresh, healthy smoothies and fruit bowls with inspiration from summertime.
Playa Bowls is planning to open at 225 E. Grand River Ave. in East Lansing, across from Michigan State University. Diana Cannizzaro, who is franchising the New Jersey-based national chain, is a former local journalist in Lansing, and during the pandemic decided to pursue her long-held dream of opening her own business.
“Walking into a Playa Bowls is like stepping into the Caribbean, so this will be a great place for students to come relax and enjoy tasty food that’s good for you,” Cannizzaro said. “Playa Bowls focuses on serving the freshest, highest quality ingredients.”
Playa Bowls is a healthy alternative to other fast-casual dining options and offers smoothies, fresh-pressed juices, coffee, oatmeal, acai, pitaya, coconut, green bowls, and more with a variety of toppings, all with no added sugar. Playa Bowls’ acai is imported directly from Brazil to New Jersey so the company can ensure it is of the highest quality.
Amy Richter-Perkins, associate vice president with Colliers Lansing, represented landlord Fabian Enterprises in leasing the space which was previously home to an off-campus student housing company. The space is ideal for Playa Bowls because of its proximity to MSU.
“This location gets heavy foot traffic, and it will be an ideal place for students and East Lansing residents to enjoy a healthy food option,” Richter-Perkins said. “I was happy to help a new business owner find the right space and bring fresh and nutritious food to the area.”
The building has been owned by the Fabian family since the 1930s, and when Colliers and Cannizzaro brought the Playa Bowls idea to Jeff Fabian, he thought it would be a great fit for the space for a new generation of health-conscious young people.
“We liked the concept and are excited to have a new tenant occupying this space where we expect it to do very well,” Fabian said. “Playa Bowls complements the location, and we enjoyed working with Colliers to make this deal happen.”
Cannizzaro is currently working on renovating the space into one that feels like “walking into summertime,” with wood accents, boho décor, and tropical vibes. She is aiming for a late spring opening and is currently hiring for summer. Those interested can visit the Playa Bowls website to apply.
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About Colliers International Group Inc.
Colliers (NASDAQ, TSX: CIGI) is a leading diversified professional services and investment management company. With operations in 67 countries, our more than 15,000 enterprising professionals work collaboratively to provide expert advice to real estate occupiers, owners and investors. For more than 25 years, our experienced leadership with significant insider ownership has delivered compound annual investment returns of almost 20% for shareholders. With annualized revenues of $3.0 billion ($3.3 billion including affiliates) and $40 billion of assets under management, we maximize the potential of property and accelerate the success of our clients and our people. Learn more at corporate.colliers.com, Twitter @Colliers or LinkedIn
About Playa Bowls
Founded by surfers Abby Taylor & Rob Giuliani, Playa Bowls was born out of the desire to recreate the delicious, refreshing, healthy versions of acai and pitaya bowls the pair encountered on various surf trips to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, California, and Hawaii. At each beach, they discovered new and unique twists on this popular post-surf treat and came home wanting more. The pair set up a blender and a folding table on the boardwalk in their hometown of Belmar, and Playa Bowls was born. Eight years, and millions of bowls later, Playa Bowls continues to offer superfruit bowls with a mission to lead communities in healthy, sustainable living.
