If your New Year’s resolution was to eat a little healthier, Acai Bowls Tropical Fusion will open a new kiosk at The Garden in downtown Pensacola this month.
Owner Wilmarie Amaya has built a growing local following for her acai bowl store since purchasing the Gulf Breeze shop from her Brazilian founder in 2019.
Amaya hopes to have its new Pensacola kiosk open by January 20th, gallery night.
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Brought from the Amazon rainforest, the superfood is said to promote blood circulation, enhance immune cell function, fight cancer cells, and have anti-aging effects.
According to Amaya, the restaurant stands out among its competitors by using pure acai, and other companies have added fillers such as apple juice or almond milk to the base to push the acai farther. He said he could taste it. The added ingredients are less expensive than pure acai, but take away the bowl of nutrients consumers think they’re consuming.
After the processed berries are brought to the store, Amaya turns them into a frozen yogurt-like consistency that can be dispensed into bowls, cones, or cups.
Customers are free to be creative with their choice of toppings. While kids tend to gobble up marshmallows, sprinkles, and chocolate his chips right away, more health-conscious kids mix chia seeds, nuts his butter, and bee pollen in a bowl post-workout. .
“It’s like ice cream without dairy and a ton of sugar,” Amaya said.
She has expanded her market to meet the needs of her customers. That means serving traditional acai her bowls as well as protein shakes, smoothies, and twist her cups.
At The Garden location, she starts with a basic acai bowl like her best-selling Caribbean, layered with granola, almonds, peanut butter, chia seeds, coconut, bananas, strawberries and blueberries. Over time, the owners will begin to introduce new items to the menu, and it is possible that they will be exclusive to The Garden.
Amaya has taken over, but the original Brazilian influences remain, including the popular ‘Brazilian-style’ acai cup with banana, kiwi and condensed milk.
The Garden Store is a more rustic version of the bright Gulf Breeze location, with a green background and wood tones.
“I think it’s going to be pretty cute,” she said.
The kiosk isn’t the end of her expansion plans, and she hopes to open a food truck in the future as well.
Ever since she moved to the Panhandle from Venezuela, she’s seen her dream of becoming her own boss come true.
“We are doing what we dreamed of,” she said.
For more information, visit the Acai Bowl Tropical Fusion Facebook page.