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