Davis’ lack of authentic acai bowls has finally been reconciled
By OLIVIA HOKR — city@theaggie.org
Last month, Davis welcomed a new business to the downtown area. Acai Fresh recently opened at 431 G Street, offering bowls made with authentic acai soft serve and a variety of toppings including fresh fruits, nuts, granola, coconut, chocolate and more.
Acai Fresh is owned and operated by the same owner of YoloBerry Yogurt, Lee Pflugrath. YoloBerry is a staple for many Davis residents, and Pflugrath saw an opportunity to provide the city with another shop to satisfy acai cravings. After three years of thinking about how to execute his concept, Acai Fresh came into existence.
“I wanted to do another brand, another concept that would compliment YoloBerry in a way,” Pflugrath said. “We were going to put it in YoloBerry, but I think it would’ve taken away the concept of the acai bowl. I felt that it would really stand on its own as a business and so I couldn’t do self-serve with it.”
Throughout Davis, there are minimal options for acai bowls. Pflugrath discovered that the majority of those options resemble more of a smoothie bowl rather than a traditional acai bowl. As he worked on the concept for Acai Fresh, Pflugrath paid special attention to the authenticity and freshness of the brand. To ensure a consistently satisfactory bowl, the acai is poured from a soft serve machine.
“With the versions [of acai] around the area, most folks are used to bowls that are blended or scooped, and then the consistency of that product is more watery and soupy, and the texture is more runny,” Pflugrath said. “I felt that the texture and taste and everything of the market out there wasn’t sufficient for what we were trying to do. Our bowls come out of a soft serve machine, like the ones at YoloBerry.”
The menu items at Acai Fresh are made up of organic, nutrient-rich and high-quality ingredients.
“We use 100% Brazilian Acai Berry organic soft serve,” Pflugrath said. “We promote a healthy lifestyle with our brand. Our [acai] mix is very different from others. We don’t put any fillers in there or corn syrup or any of that type of stuff. We cut all of our fruit fresh daily. All of our berries and toppings come in daily so we really emphasize freshness and great quality.”
UC Davis students have shown great appreciation for the new acai shop. Being away from home can mean being away from your favorite foods, which for a lot of people is acai bowls. Jolina Huang, a third-year design and cognitive science double major, made her way to Acai Fresh the first week they opened.
“I’ve been wanting an acai shop in Davis since I first came to university here, so I was so excited to hear about Acai Fresh,” Huang said. “I’ve already tried the Yolo Bowl with my friends, and I can’t wait to go back for more.”
Acai Fresh has not had an official grand opening yet but hopes to have one in the upcoming months. Visit Acai Fresh’s website for more information regarding their hours of operation, location and menu.
Written by: Olivia Hokr — city@theaggie.org
