Gene Sherman, a multi-unit Playa Bowls franchisee in Maryland, has signed a lease for 1,226 square feet at Westview Promenade in Frederick County — his second active location in the market — with a third unit already lined up for Urbana in Q1 2027. The fast-casual superfruit bowl brand now counts more than 400 shops across 30 states, and Sherman's buildout represents one of the more aggressive area development pushes in the mid-Atlantic region.
The Development Play
Sherman's first Frederick unit, at Clemson Corner shopping center, provided the proof-of-concept that supported the additional commitments. The Westview Promenade opening is targeted for December, and after Urbana comes online, Sherman says he is actively scouting two additional sites in Carroll or Washington counties — a trajectory that would push his personal portfolio to five units. For a concept with an accessible 1,200-square-foot footprint and a streamlined menu of açai, pitaya, coconut, and green bowls alongside smoothies, cold-pressed juices, and cold brew, the capital requirements per unit remain relatively modest, supporting rapid multi-unit scaling for operators with prior franchise experience.
Sherman's background as a former two-unit Anytime Fitness franchisee is worth noting from a unit-economics standpoint. Fitness-adjacent operators have demonstrated above-average success rates in health-and-wellness QSR concepts, where the customer base and brand values align tightly. Co-tenancy at Westview Promenade — anchored by MOM's Organic Market and Regal Westview Cinema, with neighbors including Starbucks and Cold Stone Creamery — positions the incoming Playa Bowls unit to capture a health-oriented consumer already in motion. The trade area includes more than 90,000 residents within five miles and nearly 35,000 households averaging more than $85,000 in annual income, a demographic profile that skews favorably for premium-ingredient fast casual.
Segment Tailwinds
Playa Bowls competes in the better-for-you fast-casual segment alongside concepts like Vitality Bowls and Robeks, a category that has continued to attract franchise investment even as broader fast-casual unit growth has moderated. The brand's all-fresh, no-dye, no-additive positioning — with gluten-free and vegan options across its 40-item menu — addresses the ingredient-transparency demand that has become a durable driver of traffic in the segment rather than a passing LTO strategy.
For landlords, health-and-wellness QSR tenants have emerged as reliable anchors in lifestyle and open-air centers where foot traffic is experiential rather than destination-driven. Hill Management Services, the Timonium-based developer behind Westview Promenade, framed the Playa Bowls lease as a deliberate tenant-mix move. Danielle Beyrodt, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Hill Management Services, said the brand's selection of açai bowls, smoothies, and juices "will be immediately embraced by the Frederick community," pointing to growing consumer scrutiny of ingredients and food preparation methods.
For operators evaluating franchise development in the mid-Atlantic, Sherman's model — leveraging a fitness-franchise background to enter health-focused foodservice — illustrates a cross-category playbook that has gained traction as gym and wellness operators look for adjacencies with lower labor complexity and strong daypart coverage across breakfast and lunch.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
