Blessed Bowls Thirroul owners Saskia Martin and Adrian Erdedi have been “blown away” by the response of customers. Photo: Blessed Bowls.
Blessed Bowls Thirroul co-owners Adrian Erdedi and Saskia Martin closed the doors on their first day of trading, hugged each other and cried.
Having served just shy of 500 acai bowls on day one, demand was roughly double what they had anticipated – and in the days after, that number continued to climb.
Over the weekend, as people flocked back to the northern suburb beaches to take advantage of an unseasonably warm end to winter, there was hardly a time when there wasn’t a queue, sometimes stretching as far as the nearby church.
“It was insane. We went through buckets and buckets of acai, the volumes were astounding and I’ve never seen so much fresh fruit in my life. We had to make runs to the IGA, Thirroul Fruit Barn and Coles every day, sometimes numerous times a day,” Adrian says.
“In just one week we have repeat customers who are completely loyal and coming every day, sometimes multiple times a day.
“We’ve been blown away by some of the kind things people have said, and the gratitude they’ve shown. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and I think it just goes to show our instincts were right – there was a real need for something like this in Thirroul.”
An acai convert from way back, Adrian had noted the gap in the market some time back. When his friend Saskia visited from Sydney’s Avalon Beach over the Easter long weekend, she echoed the observation.
“It was just a conversation over drinks on the Easter long weekend, and a week later we had signed up with the owner of a brand we both loved,” Adrian says.
The Blessed Bowls franchise embraces Australia’s obsession with acai – a sweet purple berry touted as a superfood packed with antioxidants.
Customers can select an acai base, a dairy-free and vegan “creamy coconut soft serve” base, or a blend of the two. Toppings range from fresh fruits delivered daily, organic granolas and raw cacao nibs to more “indulgent” toppings such as raw caramel slice, brownie bites and Biscoff, with a range of sauces to top it off. Bowls can be blended with protein powders or made vegan or gluten-free, and whether you choose a simple “naked acai”, one of the popular pre-designed combinations or opt to “build your own”, the products are geared towards the health conscious.
While the business was founded in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Adrian says the model “catering to a wide range of dietary requirements and lifestyles” is right at home in the Illawarra’s northern suburbs.
“I absolutely love the grassroots, chilled vibe of Thirroul, and the fact that it’s not overdone with big chains. I think this is a ‘metropolitan’ offering that can be introduced in a way that enhances the community culture of the village,” Adrian says.
“I looked around at one point last week and saw barefooted beachgoers, parents with strollers and seniors all lining up or hanging out front and thought, ‘We did it, this is exactly the vibe we imagined’.
“It’s more than an acai joint, it’s a meeting place for family and friends.”
Later this month Blessed Bowls Thirroul will lean further into this “meeting place” role by opening for dessert nights on Saturdays, offering the same menu but with a few additional items, and also, opening a dining room in the space next door.
Here, as customers congregate over delicious, fresh acai bowls, Adrian and Saskia will exhibit works by local artists and showcase locally-made products in collaboration with nearby shops like Thirroul + Co.
“I think collaboration is key to the ethos of small businesses in a place like Thirroul,” Adrian says. “When one of us succeeds, we all win.”
Blessed Bowls Thirroul is located at Shop 4/309 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Thirroul and is currently open from 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday and 8:30 am to 5 pm Saturday and Sunday – but watch this space.
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