Michigan couple turns Metro Detroit tropical with smoothies
TROY, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) — A Michigan couple has succeeded in bringing tropical vibes to the mitten in the form of a unique food item.
The lawyer-teacher duo turned business owners have opened three soon-to-be four super fruit bowl shops called Playa Bowls throughout Metro Detroit.
"Everybody wants to go on vacation, right?" said Matt Caplan, co-owner of Playa Bowls.
Matt and Cheryl Caplan never envisioned themselves as business owners until a Florida vacation changed the trajectory of their lives.
"I am like, this is a great vibe," said Matt. "You just felt happy there."
The lawyer-school teacher duo took their son on a vacation where he tried a super fruit bowl smoothie from Playa Bowl for the first time.
He tried it and loved and kept coming back, so Matt and Cheryl tried it, loved it, and thought they needed to do something about it.
"Man, we need something like that in Michigan. How cool would that be," said Matt Caplan.
In December 2021, they had the idea and opened up their first Playa Bowl in 2022. Now, there are three locations.
"The store is what really caught my eye," said Matt, "All the beautiful colors, all the murals on the wall, the music."
Opening the stores as the COVID-19 pandemic was winding down helped business, as people were more than ready to leave their homes and go back to a normal lifestyle, this time maybe a little healthier.
Matt Caplan says they prepare about 1,000 pounds of strawberries and bananas in each location every week.
"It's kind of reinvigorating," he said. "It has made me feel young again."
Cheryl Caplan majored in hospitality in college and was expecting to use her degree again, just not in the form of a shop that has acai bowls, pitaya bowls, green bowls, banana bowls, coconut bowls and oatmeal bowls.
"I did actually see myself doing something again in the restaurant business, but no, not this," said Cheryl Caplan.
Cheryl Caplan teaches third grade, while Matt Caplan is a family and divorce lawyer.
Their son attends Michigan State University.
They said all the money they make goes back into the business, and maybe one day their son will take over.
For now, they are enjoying the hustle and are excited about their progress and anxious for the future.