ALEXANDRIA — A new açaí smoothie bowl food truck, “Fruity Bowls” is coming to Alexandria this May.
A grand opening will take place at Big Ole Park on Memorial Day weekend — Saturday, May 24 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday, May 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The smoothie bowls are not only delicious but are also gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, artificial dye-free, and vegan, according to owner Mallory Arnold. “Fruity Bowls is dedicated to promoting health and wellness in a family-friendly environment where everyone can come to enjoy good vibes and great food,” she said.
Fruity Bowls’ Mission: To provide Acai Bowls made from premium ingredients as a healthy food option and help foster community connections.
Fruity Bowls’ Vision: We strive to inspire communities to make healthier choices and bring people together by serving a diverse range of customers, engaging with local partners, and promoting wellness through food initiatives while providing a delicious food option.
Customers pick one to three base flavors, one to three fruits, and one to four toppings. Here are a couple of examples: “The Cat’s Meow” — mango pineapple sorbet, acai sorbet, dragon fruit sorbet, raspberry, strawberry, granola and honey drizzle. “Hissy Fit” — matcha sorbet, coconut sorbet, strawberry, raspberry, granola and coconut flakes.
Arnold grew up on a farm in Appleton, Minnesota and graduated from high school in Morris in 2016. She earned a degree in communication studies with minors in music and economics from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2019. After college she worked Explore Alexandria Tourism until moving up to Bemidji in 2020 to work and get her masters degree in leadership and innovation.
While in Bemidji, Arnold worked in marketing and community engagement. These jobs connected her to Tara Gesy, the owner of Adventure Bowls. Gesy had posted that not only did she want to sell one of her Adventure Bowls trucks, but she wanted to help mentor and guide the new owner – specifically looking for a young entrepreneur that wanted to carry on her heart and passion.
Arnold decided to take the leap and purchased the previous Adventure Bowls truck and rebranded it to become Fruity Bowls.
“Fruity Bowls will provide delicious, nutritious, and vibrant Acai Bowls made from premium ingredients as a healthy food option throughout local communities and foster community connections,” Arnold said. “Growing up in rural South West Minnesota, I know the limited offerings available for healthy food options and also, limited places to gather and connect. I saw the need for this type of product in our area and I am excited to bring a new business back to my hometown area.”
She added, “Fruity Bowls will strive to inspire communities to make healthier choices and bring people together by serving a diverse range of customers, engaging with local partners, and promoting wellness through food initiatives while providing a delicious and fun food option.”
Fruity Bowls’ summer schedule will be released at the end of May. Although based out of Alexandria, Fruity Bowls will also make stops in Morris, Glenwood, Starbuck, Benson, Brandon, Parkers Prairie, Detroit Lakes, and Bemidji.
By
Echo Press staff report
Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.