'Superfood smoothie bowl' eatery adding two new locations in Rochester
A burgeoning Twin Cities chain serving up fruit-packed açai bowls is making its way into the Rochester market.
Minnetonka-based Nautical Bowls plans to add two new locations in Rochester, according to co-founder Rachel Amundson. The goal is to have both spots open by this summer.
The south location will be at 230 20th Avenue SW, near Beetles Bar & Grill, while the north location is slated for the area of 18th Avenue NW & 55th Street (the exact address will be revealed once a lease is secured).
Jeff Kothenbeutel, a restaurant manager at Beetles, will be the franchisee for both Nautical Bowls locations in Rochester.
Amundson, who started the business in 2018 with her husband Bryant, said the expansion into Rochester is part of a larger growth strategy that includes 44 new franchises in the Midwest and Southeast.
The couple is working with Peter Taunton, the entrepreneur who founded Snap Fitness, on scaling the business, which up until last year had just two locations — in Minnentoka and Eden Prairie — along with a food truck. They are aiming to open 1,000 new locations within the decade.
Nautical Bowls serves what Amundson described as “superfood smoothie bowls” packed with fruits and other plant-based ingredients.
“It’s organic, gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based and we don’t use any refined sugars, so it’s actually a whole, healthy meal or snack or dessert alternative,” explained Amundson.
Açai bowls, the origins of which can be traced back to the Amazon River delta in Brazil, have become a popular food trend in recent years in major metro areas, including southern California, where the Amundsons were introduced to them. The base of the bowl has the creamy consistency of sorbet, and is generally topped with fruits, granola, and/or nuts.
Fiddlehead replaces Starbucks downtown
A coffee shop will be returning to the Kahler — it just won’t be Starbucks.
Rochester-based Fiddlehead Coffee Co. recently announced its plans to move into the prime street-level space at 2nd Avenue and West Center Street, across from Methodist Hospital and the Gonda Building. It is the same spot Starbucks had operated out of before closing last fall.
Co-owner Patrick Phelan, who 20 years ago worked at an independent coffee shop that closed after a Starbucks moved into the block, described a locally-owned shop moving into the space as “poetic justice.”
“We’re so thankful to have such an amazing opportunity to reclaim this historic and prime location from a giant multinational chain,” said Phelan.
The Kahler location will be Fiddlehead’s fourth in Minnesota. It also operates two other Rochester cafés — one in the Miracle Mile shopping center and another on Third Avenue near the Government Center — along with a Bloomington location that opened last November.
As with its other locations, the Kahler café will offer up “ethically-sourced” coffee items, house-made bread, and pastries. The location will also have a new menu of grab-and-go breakfast and lunch options.
Sun country Launches service at RST
Warm weather destinations are closer than ever.
Sun Country Airlines on Thursday began its inaugural flights from Rochester International Airport to Fort Meyers, Fla.
Direct flights to Phoenix are scheduled to start Friday.
The new service, announced last April, follows years of work by airport officials to add flights to Florida and Arizona. (A similar effort a few years ago by Elite Airways aiming to connect RST with the two states failed to get off the ground due to what the company cited as “low bookings.”)
To start off, the Sun Country service out of RST will run on Thursdays and Sundays to Fort Myers, and on Mondays and Fridays to Phoenix.
Sean Baker is a Rochester journalist and founder of Med City Beat.
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