Playa Bowls, the nation’s leading superfruit bowl shop specializing in bowls such as acai and pitaya, oatmeal, chia, smoothies, juices, cold brew and more, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dan Harmon as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. As CEO, Harmon will leverage his extensive industry experience to continue to build on the brand’s unique strengths and assume responsibility for accelerating its overall growth strategies and performance.
“Harmon has an exceptional reputation for exceeding business objectives and franchisee relationships in the restaurant industry and will be a valuable asset as we continue to grow and develop our company,” said Rob Giuliano, Co-Founder of Playa Bowls. “Throughout his career, Dan Harmon has established himself as a leader who builds strong teams, drives great business results and develops trust with team members and franchisees. We’re incredibly honored to have someone of his caliber join the Playa Bowls team.”
Harmon is a sought out, seasoned and accomplished franchise and restaurant industry veteran with leadership experience from some of the industry’s most recognized and successful brands. Most recently, Harmon was the President and Chief Operations Officer at Smoothie King where he launched several transformative initiatives focused on profitability, productivity and ease of operations. Prior to joining the Smoothie King team, Harmon spent more than three decades growing his passion for franchising and refining operational processes with Papa Murphy’s, Potbelly Sandwich Works, Blockbuster and McDonald’s. He contributes his professional success to prioritizing franchisee wins, beginning with the end in mind and then purposefully designing a path to greatness. Harmon succeeds Playa Bowls’ Co-Founder Rob Giuliano, who will remain engaged in the business as Chief Innovation Officer and continue to play a critical role in Playa Bowls’ strategic development.
“I’m thrilled to take on this new opportunity and role. Playa Bowls is a unique brand with a combination of high-quality superfruit menu items, exceptional franchisees and passionate team members,” said Dan Harmon, CEO of Playa Bowls. “There is a tremendous opportunity to grow the brand and mission nationally, and I’m looking forward to working closely with our leadership team and franchisees to make that happen.”
Since its inception in 2014, Playa Bowls has emerged as a leader in the national superfruit bowl shop segment. Today, the brand has 175+ shops systemwide, operating in 20 states. Under Harmon’s leadership, Playa Bowls intends to continue to expand its domestic footprint across the U.S.
To learn more about Playa Bowls, visit PlayaBowls.com and follow the superfruit bowl shop on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or TikTok. For more information on franchising, please visit playabowls.com/franchise. Dan Harmon’s headshot and Playa Bowls’ images can be found here.
About Playa Bowls
Known as New Jersey’s original acai bowl shop, Playa Bowls is the nation’s leading superfruit bowl shop serving up an extensive and unique menu of over 40 items including the bright flavors of acai, pitaya, green and coconut bowls alongside oatmeal bowls, juices, smoothies, and coffee made with the freshest, high-quality ingredients. What began as a pair of blenders, a patio table, and a fridge in 2014 has flourished into more than 175 shops nationwide that operate in 20 states, thousands of employees, and a mission to lead communities in healthy, sustainable living. The rapidly growing franchise has received numerous accolades including Forbes 30 Under 30 and finalist for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Visit playabowls.com for additional information and stay connected on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.
