Playa Bowls Opens 54 New Shops and Achieves Double-digit Increase in Comparable Store Sales in 2023

Playa Bowls announced today that 2023 marked a significant year of development success in the brand's history, fueled by new openings, signed franchise commitments, product innovation and executive hires.

Brand Development

In 2023, the fast-growing brand opened 54 new shops and signed 110 franchise commitments, with 60 percent of the commitments signed by existing shop owners. The brand also successfully entered eight new markets, including Washington D.C., Raleigh, Austin, and Orlando.

The brand's significant national expansion is complemented by a 7.2 percent transaction growth in 2023 leading to a double-digit increase in comparable store sales.

"2023 was a momentous year for Playa Bowls. We've substantially increased our national presence, surpassing over 200 locations across the nation," said Dan Harmon, Chief Executive Officer. "The growth isn't slowing down any time soon. Playa Bowls has signed numerous development commitments that have set the brand up for a strong start in 2024. Along with new shops, we're also looking forward to launching new menu items and partnerships this year to continue providing our customers with fresh and exciting superfruit creations."

Leadership Team Investments

To support the accelerated growth of the brand and its operators, Playa Bowls strategically expanded its leadership team in 2023 with the appointments of Dan Harmon as Chief Executive Officer, Nicolle DuBose as Chief Marketing Officer, and Jayson Tipp as interim Chief Development Officer.

Dan Harmon's appointment marked a pivotal moment for the brand in 2023, as Playa Bowls surpassed 200 shops nationwide. Harmon intends to continue to build upon the brand's unique strengths and assume responsibility for accelerating overall growth strategies and performance.

Nicolle DuBose brings over 20 years of industry marketing expertise to the brand, promising an exciting future for Playa Bowls in 2024 and beyond. DuBose stepped in to further enhance Playa Bowls' marketing efforts, including brand strategy, digital marketing, social media and customer engagement initiatives. 

Underscoring Playa Bowls' commitment to brand growth, Playa Bowls welcomed Jayson Tipp in September to spearhead franchise development. Tipp's C-level experience in both marketing and development has helped the brand articulate the franchise value proposition, launch multi-unit development and accelerate brand growth.

Product Innovation and Partnerships

To maintain the interest and excitement of its customers, Playa Bowls continued to evolve and innovate its menu in 2023 with the launch of the Playa Pitaya and Playa Mango bases, and seasonal limited-time menu offerings throughout the year.

Additionally, in 2023, Playa Bowls continued and pursued partnerships with other leading brands, including Chobani® and Vital Proteins®, to further enhance its menu with new customer-driven creations. This resulted in both permanent and limited-time items that overall were a success among customers. The brand's dedication to product innovation has helped retain existing customers and attract new fans contributing to transaction growth. In 2023, the brand also accumulated 535,582 Playa Rewards sign-ups.