Belmar, N.J. — Belmar, New Jersey-based Playa Bowls, a fast-causal restaurant chain that specializes in açai bowls, smoothies and fruit juices, has signed three multi-unit franchise agreements spanning Nevada, South Carolina and Missouri. Husband-and-wife teams Justin and Hannah Kirkland, alongside Craig and Diana Kirkland, will own and operate 10 restaurants in Southern Nevada.
Brittany and Jeff Ciaramita have signed a five-unit development agreement in Missouri, marking the brand’s introduction to the state. Potential locations include Ladue, Central West End, Creve Coeur, Town and Country and Chesterfield, with the first location anticipated to open this fall in Clayton.
Additionally, multi-unit operator Coleen Jeter, along with Robin Richards, has signed a multi-unit agreement in the Charlotte, North Carolina market. The first location is expected to open in Tega Cay, a peninsula in Lake Wylie, South Carolina, and just south of the North Carolina border.
Playa Bowls is on track to open 20 new locations in the first quarter of this year, after surpassing 85 new locations nationwide in 2025, bringing the company to nearly 400 total shops. Playa Bowls has also expanded into the international market with the signing of a 160-unit development agreement in Canada.