NOSH
EATS | DRINKS | SWEETS
W
ith rainbow super fruit bowls
and refreshing smoothies,
Playa Bowls aims to bring a
relaxed vacation vibe to everyday life.
The national franchise, which calls itself
“New Jersey’s Original Acai Shop,” opened
its Troy location on April 15, the sixth
store in Michigan and fourth in Metro
Detroit, three of which are operated by
Matthew and Cheryl Caplan of West
Bloomfield.
As an attorney and schoolteacher
respectively, the Caplans, who are lifelong
Temple Israel members, are busy with
full-time jobs. Yet being empty nesters
encouraged them to lean into franchising
as a way to use their profits to give back to
the organizations they care about most.
For Matthew Caplan, 53, who was diag-
nosed with multiple sclerosis in 2009, the
Bloomfield Hills, Rochester Hills and Troy
Playa Bowl stores that he and his wife
operate lend a hand to fundraising efforts
for the National MS Society, where he
serves as chair of the board of trustees.
“This is an opportunity for us to take
a portion of proceeds and prof-
its and donate back, as well as
do fundraisers in our stores,”
Matthew Caplan explains.
The Caplans are also support-
ers of Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit and hope to
use portions of Playa Bowls prof-
its to increase their contributions
to the Jewish organization.
“We want to be able to make a
large contribution to Federation,”
he adds.
In addition, it just so happens
that the Bloomfield Hills Playa Bowls
store sits next door to Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit. The storefront
on the corner of Maple and Telegraph was
the first of the Caplans’ three Playa Bowls
locations and opened in October 2022,
while the second location in Rochester
Hills opened January 2023.
A CHANCE ENCOUNTER
Still, the Caplans never envisioned going
into franchising — it was a chance
encounter in Maryland and then again in
Florida that led them to discover the Playa
Bowls brand.
Back in October 2021, Cheryl Caplan,
52, and the Caplans’ son, Torin Caplan,
20, traveled to Maryland with Cheryl
and Matthew’s niece. There, they tried
Playa Bowls for the first time and “really
enjoyed it,” Matthew Caplan says.
Two months later, in December 2021,
the Caplans once again crossed paths
with a Playa Bowls franchise in Deerfield
Playa Bowls serves up healthy options
at its newest location in Troy.
Colorful
Super Fruit
Bowls
ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
38 | JUNE 8 • 2023
Cheryl and
Matthew Caplan
Pura Vida
Acai Bowl