The new food truck offers acai bowls and smoothies to students.
Courtney Laermer, News Editor
Joining food trucks like The Whey Station and Mamoun’s Falafel Cart, Bowl’d Creations, an acai bowl and smoothie truck, has decided to ride up onto High Street.
Jonathon Bone and Justin McLaughlin can be credited with bringing this new indulgence to campus. Bone primarily spends time on the food truck serving to customers, while McLaughlin is responsible for the behind-the-scenes work.
While they grew up in Madison, Connecticut, both Bone and McLaughin ended up moving to California where they discovered acai bowls.
“After spending five or so years on the West Coast we both found ourselves back in CT and decided since there was nowhere to find an Acai Bowl in the Nutmeg State we should start providing them,” Bone wrote in an email to The Argus. “We bought the truck and had a friend of ours who does graphic designing do the wraps that cover the passenger side and back doors, and another friend, Brian Gilson, who is a local artist, spray paint the mural on the driver’s side.”
The truck made its debut at the “Madison Food Truck Appreciations Day” on April 25th. The original intention for Bone and McLaughlin was to begin having the truck at the University during the Spring 2015 semester; however, by the time that the truck was prepared, summer had already begun.
“So we spent the summer vending on the shoreline primarily in Madison, Guildford, and Bradford,” McLaughlin wrote. “Ashlawn Farm in Lyme is where we get our coffee (which is the best coffee in CT) and we have been doing their farmers’ market as well as the Parmelee Farmers’ Market in Killingworth and Branford Alps Farmers Market in Branford. We have also done food truck events in North Haven, and Meriden, concerts in New Haven and 5ks in Shelton. We have done private parties for as little as 12 people as well as larger corporate events for upwards of 150 people and everything in between.”
The truck offers a variety of different acai bowls with frozen acai berries, other kinds of berries, and almond milk. Granola, cacao, honey, flaxseed, and other healthful ingredients are also added. Their classic bowl contains fresh strawberries, banana, granola, shaved coconut, and honey. Other choices include a “Very Berry” with extra berries (blueberries and raspberries); “Maui Wowie” with additional pineapple, blueberries, goji berries, hemp, and greens super-food with flax seeds; “Kiwi’s Playhouse” with additional mango, goji berries, chia seeds”; and finally, “Nutty” with peanut butter and bananas for an extra protein boost.
“We’ve found at first people are hesitant to try the bowls because it’s something they’ve never had but once they try them they’re hooked,” McLaughlin wrote. “For the bowls our most popular are the Nutty and Maui Wowie.”
Smoothies, coffee, and water (coconut or regular) are also found on the truck. There are five different options with various fresh fruit, almond milk, and other healthy ingredients, and “boosts” can be added, including chia seeds, flax seeds, honey, and peanut butter.
“For smoothies, [our most popular are] probably the Mango #5 and PB & Whey,” he wrote.
The truck will be out on High Street at least one to two days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The owners intend to add more days in the future.