Playa Bowls Brings A Taste Of The Jersey Shore To Reston

RESTON, VA — Robert Giuliani started Playa Bowls in 2014 on the Jersey Shore, as a surf-themed restaurant offering healthy food for people on the go.

"I always knew my brother had a great product, wildly successful, and would be successful if run well anywhere," said Jeffrey Giuliani, Robert's older brother. "I always wanted to get involved. He reminded me that it's not just running a smoothie shop. It's a business. There's a lot of work."

As an orthopedic surgeon, Giuliani understood that he wouldn't have the time to devote to the business. However, when he learned that his partner Dave Eynon wanted to make a career change, the two decided to team up and launch their own Playa Bowls franchises.

"It fell right in with what he loved," Giuliani said. "He eats super healthy and is into the surf lifestyle. We paired up and now we just opened Reston, which is store number four in the DMV."

A resident of Vienna, Giuliani was well aware of the growing economy of Tysons Corner and the surrounding areas.

"Reston is just constantly growing and building," he said. "Our first store was in Fairfax and I had so many customers tell me that we have to come to Reston because that's where the action is at. They drive 45 minutes from out west to our store in Fairfax, and Reston would be such a great opportunity."

At end of November, the two entrepreneurs opened their new Playa Bowl location at 1820 Discovery St., in Reston Town Center.

"This opportunity came up to be right on the main promenade near the ice skating rink," Giuliani said. "With all the corporations there and right off W&OD running trail, for me it was just a no-brainer."

Playa Bowls specializes in serving a range of healthy fruit bowls that contain energy-boosting açaí berries and Pitaya, a dragon fruit from Nicaragua.

"The brand that my brother and his partner built is built on incredible, healthy, all-natural products, which is obviously a big push in today's world, healthy lifestyle, healthy eating, with the freshest of berries from Brazil and Nicaragua," Giuliani said.

The ambiance and vibe of the store are just as important to the success of Playa Bowls as is the product itself, according to Giuliani.

"The store is built around the young, high school kids in the area," he said. "They are my employees and they bring the energy and the passion to the store. So, people come equally for the great product but on top of that, it's a great experience."

The store is designed with a beach motif, which lends an atmosphere of tranquility.

"With all the political issues and the tensions in the world, it gives people a 5-10 minute escape from the world," Giuliani said. "It's a perfect mix of everything."

Giuliani and Eynon admit that they were somewhat concerned about launching a new business amid a pandemic.

"Jeff and I have a little bit of experience in this in that we opened our Kensington (Maryland) location at the tail end of the first shutdown and had the same concerns," Eynon said. "We saw how things played out through the summer."

One impact of the pandemic is that many of the corporate offices in Reston Town Center are empty, as people are working from home remotely.

"It's such a great dichotomy," Guliani said. "Most restaurants and small businesses may be shuttering their windows and not doing so great. That we were able to open up a store in the middle of the pandemic and economy. I think it brings a positive sign to the neighborhood."

On top of that, Playa Bowls' product is highly mobile and easily fits in all the third-party delivery system.

"Playa Bowls, in general, is actually doing probably as good if not better through the pandemic, which is so incredible," Guliani said. "We've been really, really lucky and hope that the trend continues."