Açaí Bowl Franchise: Cost, Royalty and How to Open a City Bowls
City Bowls is now franchising across the Southeast. If you have been looking at açaí bowl franchises, smoothie bowl franchises or healthy food franchise opportunities in general, this post covers what you will want to know first: what it costs, what the royalty is, how long it takes to open, and who we are looking for.
The short version is below. Everything else is the detail behind it, and the City Bowls franchising page is where to register your interest.
City Bowls franchise at a glance
- Initial franchise fee: $30,000
- Royalty: 5% of sales
- Time to open: about six months, from first conversation to first bowl
- Build-out: 90 to 120 days
- Financing: typically about 30 days, with introductions to lenders who know the format
- Territory: the Southeastern United States, most of it still unclaimed
- Ideal franchisee: an owner-operator who wants to run the shop, not just fund it
- Operating history: since 2017, with seven company-run locations in Alabama
- Lower-cost option: start with a City Bowls food truck
Who City Bowls is
We are a family-owned superfruit bowl brand based in Birmingham, Alabama. We serve açaí bowls, pitaya bowls and green bowls made to order, along with coffee, toast and fresh juices.
We started in 2017 with a single food truck. That truck became a storefront in Vestavia Hills, and that storefront became seven locations across Alabama: Vestavia Hills, Downtown Birmingham, Homewood, Trussville, Brock's Gap, Huntsville and Tuscaloosa. We own and run every one of them. If you want the longer version, read how City Bowls went from food truck to storefront.
That matters for anyone weighing a franchise. City Bowls was not licensed out from day one. The playbook you would follow comes from shops we operate ourselves, and everything we would ask you to do, we have already done.
How much does an açaí bowl franchise cost?
The initial franchise fee for a City Bowls is $30,000. That is below what most açaí and smoothie bowl brands charge to get in the door.
The franchise fee is only one part of the total investment. Rent, the size of the space and how much work the building needs all move the number, which is why we go through the full costs with you once we know your market. It is also why we ask about investment capital and net worth when you register your interest: it lets us have a straight conversation about what fits.
What is the royalty?
City Bowls charges a 5% royalty. Six percent is common across the açaí and smoothie bowl segment, so that is a full point lower. On every dollar your shop takes in, more of it stays with you.
Why an açaí bowl franchise with City Bowls
There are a lot of healthy food franchises to choose from. These are the reasons franchisees give for choosing ours.
We make our açaí fresh, in house. It is not shipped in as a pre-made mix, and there are no added preservatives. It is the difference customers taste first and remember. (If you are new to the category, our guide to açaí bowls vs. smoothie bowls explains what goes into the base.)
A higher average ticket. Coffee, toast and fresh juices sit alongside the bowls. That gives customers more reasons to come in and more to add to each order, and your day does not end at lunch.
Open territory. We are early enough that most of the Southeast is unclaimed. You are choosing a market, not taking whatever is left.
Regional focus. We are building density across the Southeast rather than scattering shops across the country. That means closer support, shared marketing and a brand people in the region already recognize.
Support that assumes you are in the shop. Our training, field visits and choice of franchisees are all built around owner-operators.
How long does it take to open?
About six months. Here is how it breaks down:
- Tell us about yourself. Fill in the form on the franchising page. The market you have in mind is the part we are most interested in.
- Financing, about 30 days. We introduce you to lenders who know the format. Most applications take about a month.
- Build-out, 90 to 120 days. Site approval, design, permits and fit-out, with our team alongside you the whole way.
- Open. We train you before opening day, and someone from our team is on site through your first week of trading.
Who we are looking for
We care more about who runs the shop than what is on a résumé. The people who do this well tend to have a few things in common.
- You want to run it, not just fund it. Our strongest shops have an owner who is there, knows the regulars and notices when something slips.
- You know your market. You can tell us where the morning traffic goes, which streets people actually walk, and why a particular corner works.
- You care about hospitality. Food service experience helps, but caring how people feel when they leave matters more, and it is harder to teach.
- You want to build something local. Every shop we have opened has become part of its neighborhood, and that only happens when the owner wants it to.
If that sounds like you, you do not need to have owned a franchise before.
A lower-cost way in: the City Bowls food truck
City Bowls started on four wheels, and a truck is still a real way to begin. It costs less to start, there is no lease to sign, and you can go where the people already are: games, festivals, campuses and markets. It is also the fastest way to find out whether your town wants bowls before you commit to a building.
Mention the food truck when you register your interest and we will talk you through how it works.
Who you will work with
City Bowls has a small leadership team, and you will deal with the same people from your first conversation through your opening week:
- Cory Dill, CEO and Founder
- Jonathan Danforah, Vice President
- Tori Dill, Chief Financial Officer
- Kennedy Danforah, Chief Information Officer
Register your interest
If you are weighing açaí bowl franchise opportunities in Alabama or anywhere in the Southeast, start with a conversation. Register your interest on the franchising page and tell us about yourself and the market you have in mind. Your message goes straight to Cory. You can also email franchise@thecitybowls.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a City Bowls franchise cost?
The initial franchise fee for a City Bowls is $30,000. Your total investment depends on your site, its size and the build-out it needs, so we work through the full numbers with you once we know the market you have in mind.
What is the royalty on a City Bowls franchise?
The royalty is 5% of sales. That is a full point below the 6% that is common across açaí and smoothie bowl franchises.
How long does it take to open a City Bowls franchise?
About six months. Financing typically takes around 30 days, and the build-out — site approval, design, permits and fit-out — takes 90 to 120 days. Our team trains you before you open and is on site through your first week.
Where is City Bowls franchising?
City Bowls is franchising across the Southeastern United States. We run seven locations in Alabama ourselves, and most of the rest of the region is still open territory.
Do I need restaurant experience to own a City Bowls franchise?
No. Food service experience helps, but we care more about whether you will run the shop yourself and care how customers feel when they leave. City Bowls franchises are built for owner-operators, not absentee investors.
Can I start a City Bowls with a food truck instead of a storefront?
Yes. City Bowls began as a food truck in 2017, and a truck is a lower cost way to start, with no lease to sign. Mention it when you register your interest and we will talk you through how it works.
How do I apply for a City Bowls franchise?
Register your interest on the City Bowls franchising page at thecitybowls.com/franchising or email franchise@thecitybowls.com. Your message goes straight to our founder, Cory Dill.
