What SoBol does

SoBol is a fast-casual food and beverage franchise founded in 2013 by Jason Mazzarone in Sayville, New York and operated under the legal entity Acai Industries Inc. The company specializes in acai bowls, fruit smoothies, Belgian waffles, toppings (including in-house homemade granola), and egg bites made with cage-free eggs. All acai products are blended fresh daily, with proprietary recipes developed since the first brick-and-mortar location opened in Sayville in 2014. SoBol's underlying technology stack consists of a Paytronix-powered loyalty and mobile ordering platform (iOS and Android apps), standard third-party delivery integrations (DoorDash, UberEats, Grubhub), and an ezcater.com catering channel. There is no disclosed proprietary AI/ML or unique technical architecture beyond recipe and operational playbooks.

SoBol's business model is franchise-driven. Franchisees pay a $15,000 initial fee per location and bear buildout and ongoing operational costs, while SoBol collects ongoing royalties and franchise fees. The company supports franchisees with site selection, real estate negotiation, marketing initiatives, and operational best practices, with SMB Franchise Advisors serving as a strategic partner since October 2015. Revenue streams include retail store sales, franchise fees and royalties, catering services, and loyalty-program-driven repeat purchase. Direct customer segments are health-conscious consumers (acai bowls, smoothies, waffles, egg bites for breakfast/lunch/snacks) and franchise owners seeking a proven health-food concept. Corporate and community groups are a secondary segment served through catering and the Bowls For Bucks fundraiser program.

The company has scaled from a single store to over 100 locations across 10 states, with a heavy concentration in the Northeast (NY, NJ, CT, MA) and expansion into FL, NC, PA, VA, NH, DE, MD. Notable milestones include the 75th location in Deer Park, NY (February 2025), the 76th in USF Tampa (2025), and the Harvard Square grand opening (March 2025) drawing over 400 customers. In August 2026, SoBol executed its first acquisition, purchasing seven-location Albany-region smoothie chain Bare Blends for rebranding and further regional expansion. The company launched a protein-focused menu (Protein Shakes, Loaded Rice Cakes) in August 2026 and operates a food truck sub-brand called SoBol Mobile. Corporate headquarters and the SoBol Support Center are located at 185 Waverly Avenue, Patchogue, NY. Co-founder Jim Kalomiris joined in 2015 bringing 20+ years of restaurant industry experience.

Name

SoBol

Legal name

Acai Industries Inc.

Website

https://mysobol.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SoBol is a fast-casual franchise chain specializing in acai bowls, smoothies, Belgian waffles, and egg bites, operating over 100 locations across 10 states under legal entity Acai Industries Inc. The brand serves health-conscious consumers via a franchise model with Paytronix-powered loyalty and a recent protein-focused menu expansion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast Casual Restaurant

SIC

Beverages (2080), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Juice Bars & Cold-Pressed Juice Shops (THAFAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bubble Waffle, Crepe & Specialty Dessert Kiosks (THAFAGAK)

Keywords

• Acai bowl franchise
• Healthy fast casual
• Smoothie restaurant
• Quick service cafe
• Fresh fruit bowls

Headquarters

HQ city

Patchogue

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Store Sales: SoBol generates primary revenue through direct retail sales at its corporate and franchise locations, selling acai bowls, smoothies, Belgian waffles, egg bites, and other menu items to consumers.
2. Franchise Fees and Royalties: SoBol charges an initial franchise fee and ongoing royalty payments from franchisees. The initial franchise fee is $15,000 per location. Franchisees pay for their own buildout and ongoing operations.
3. Catering Services: SoBol offers catering services for events and groups, donating $1 per bowl or smoothie sold during Bowls For Bucks fundraisers and offering catering menus for corporate and private events.
4. Loyalty Program Revenue: The SoBol Rewards program generates revenue through increased customer frequency and larger transaction sizes, with points-based system ($1 = 2 points, 100 points = $3 coupon).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

SoBol operates a fast-casual health food franchise chain selling freshly blended açaí bowls, fruit smoothies, Belgian waffles, and cage-free egg bites through 100+ retail locations across 10 states. The company supplements its consumer retail sales with franchise fees and royalties from independent operators, a loyalty rewards program via a mobile app, and catering services for events and community fundraisers.

Product overview

SoBol is a fast-casual cafe chain operating as a franchise system with over 100 locations across 10 states. The company's core product portfolio centers on açaí bowls, fruit smoothies, Belgian waffles, toppings, and egg bites. The flagship açaí bowl consists of frozen acai berry blended with milk, layered with granola and topped with fresh fruit, nut butters, coconut and honey. SoBol recently expanded its menu with protein-focused items including Protein Shakes and Loaded Rice Cakes (August 2026). The company also offers a loyalty rewards program powered by Paytronix, catering services with a Bowls For Bucks fundraising initiative, and a mobile food truck called SoBol Mobile. In August 2026, SoBol acquired Bare Blends, a seven-location smoothie chain in the Albany region, with plans to rebrand and expand. All products are blended or prepared fresh daily with homemade granola production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The SoBol Mobile: A mobile food truck that delivers acai bowls to local festivals, fairs, concerts, and school events

Products and services

• Açaí Bowls SoBol's signature frozen fruit bowls featuring Brazilian açaí berry as the key ingredient, blended with almond, soy, or coconut milk and topped with fresh fruit, homemade granola, nut butters, coconut, and honey. Sold at retail to health-conscious consumers at 100+ franchise locations.
• Fruit Smoothies Fresh fruit blended beverages served as a meal or snack, made with natural ingredients and available at all SoBol locations.
• Belgian Waffles Belgian-style waffles offered as a menu item, including Strawberry Waffles promoted on National Waffle Day with buy-one-get-one deals.
• Toppings Customization options for bowls and smoothies including fresh sliced fruit, shaved coconut, nut butters, honey, and SoBol's homemade granola, sold across the menu as à la carte add-ons.
• Egg Bites Protein-packed savory snacks made with cage-free whole eggs and various fillings including Egg and Cheese, Bacon and Cheese, Hash Brown Bacon and Cheese, and Jalapeño and Cheese varieties.
• Protein Shakes Protein-focused shakes launched as part of the summer 2026 menu expansion, with four varieties available at SoBol locations.
• Loaded Rice Cakes Protein-focused loaded rice cakes launched as part of the summer 2026 menu expansion, with three varieties available at SoBol locations.
• SoBol Rewards Program Loyalty program allowing customers to earn points on every order ($1 = 2 points), redeem rewards, order ahead via mobile app, pay any way, and receive free birthday rewards; powered by the Paytronix platform across iOS and Android.
• SoBol Catering Catering service for corporate events, private events, and community/school fundraisers through the Bowls For Bucks program (donating $1 per bowl or smoothie sold) and the ezcater platform.
• SoBol Mobile Food truck venture that delivers SoBol's açaí bowls to local festivals, fairs, concerts, and school events; equipped with two freezers, three-compartment sink, hand-washing sink, full-service fridge, prep table, cutting table, and Wi-Fi.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4-minute service time from customer approach to bowl delivery
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered growth, core and minor.

• Bare BlendsgrowthStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 August 2026SoBol acquired Bare Blends, a smoothie chain with seven locations in the Albany region, in August 2026. The founders Jessica Fuller and Ann-Marie Berdar sold the business to SoBol, which plans to rebrand the chain and expand further in the Albany area. This acquisition represents SoBol's expansion into upstate New York markets.
• SMB Franchise AdvisorscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2015SMB Franchise Advisors guided SoBol through the entire franchise preparation process including FDD creation, franchise agreement development, and operations manual. Steve Beagelman and team helped build SoBol's franchise system from the ground up and continue to advise on expansion strategy. The partnership has been instrumental in SoBol's rapid growth from 7 locations to 100+.
• PaytronixcoreTechnology or IntegrationPaytronix powers SoBol's loyalty rewards program and mobile app infrastructure, enabling points accumulation, reward redemption, mobile ordering, and gift card functionality across all locations.
• DoorDashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partner enabling customers to order SoBol products for delivery through the DoorDash platform.
• UberEatsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partner enabling customers to order SoBol products for delivery through the UberEats platform.
• GrubhubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partner enabling customers to order SoBol products for delivery through the Grubhub platform.
• Community Organizations (Bowls For Bucks)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSoBol partners with schools, community groups, and organizations through its Bowls For Bucks fundraiser program, donating $1 per bowl/smoothie sold during fundraising events. Organizations receive marketing collateral and a check for funds raised after the event.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Smoothie King: Long-standing smoothie franchise with hundreds of U.S. locations and an expanding food menu; comparable in scale ambition and franchise model, though SoBol differentiates on acai bowls versus Smoothie King's broader smoothie/sports-nutrition focus.
• Playa Bowls: East Coast-born acai bowl franchise expanding nationally with a near-identical menu (acai/pitaya bowls, smoothies, juices); competes head-to-head with SoBol in the Northeast and offers the closest 1:1 menu and channel comparison.
• Frutta Bowls: East Coast acai/smoothie bowl franchise (founded 2016) that has scaled to ~30+ units; targets the same acai-bowl customer and franchisee profile as SoBol, with a comparable fresh, customizable menu.
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe: The largest U.S. smoothie-focused franchise (~1,000+ units), overlapping heavily in smoothie bowls, wraps, and healthy fast-casual; the most direct national comparable to SoBol's franchise-driven acai/smoothie model.
• Vitality Bowls: Specialty acai/superfood bowl franchise with dozens of U.S. locations; near-identical menu (acai bowls, smoothies, paninis) and franchise model, competing for the same franchisee candidates and health-conscious consumers.
• Robeks: Established smoothie and acai bowl franchise with ~80+ U.S. locations; a comparable, slightly smaller franchise competitor offering a similar smoothie/bowl menu in many of the same geographies as SoBol.
• Nekter Juice Bar: West Coast-rooted acai bowl, juice, and smoothie franchise with ~170+ units nationwide; directly competes on menu (acai bowls, smoothies, cold-pressed juice) and increasingly overlapping in East Coast expansion markets.

Broad incumbents

• Jamba: Public, nationally franchised smoothie chain offering bowls and smoothies; serves as the broad incumbent reference point, though Jamba has historically emphasized smoothies over acai bowls and is far larger and more mature than SoBol.

Emerging players

• Clean Juice: Organic/clean-eating juice and bowl franchise with ~100+ locations; partial menu overlap (cold-pressed juice, acai bowls, smoothies) and a franchise model that targets the same health-conscious consumer.
• Smoothie Boss: Emerging franchise smoothie brand with a growing East Coast footprint, comparable in scale and menu focus; an emerging competitive threat in the same Long Island/Northeast geographies where SoBol is densest.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9j7kA1jutcsZAE1TtvVcpw/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/SoBolFranchise
• Instagraminstagram.com/sobol_inc
• Xx.com/OwnASoBol

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SoBol