Vitality Bowls adds protein-heavy Protein Bowl to açaí menu

Vitality Bowls is making protein the headline, not a garnish, with a limited-time Protein Bowl built to read like a meal. The new bowl launched June 1 and stacks organic açaí, banana, strawberries, whey protein and almond butter before finishing with granola, blueberries, peanut butter, almonds and hemp seeds.

The formula is doing more than adding another flavor to the menu. Depending on size, the bowl reaches up to 42 grams of protein and 34 grams of fiber, a combination that puts satiety front and center in a category better known for light, fruit-forward positioning. In a fast-casual lane where bowls are often sold as refreshing or naturally energizing, Vitality Bowls is pushing a more explicit meal signal.

That push fits the company’s broader identity. Vitality Bowls was founded in 2011 in San Ramon, California, by Roy Gilad and Tara Gilad, and it began franchising in 2014. The brand says it now has more than 100 cafés open and in development, with locations built as 800- to 1,500-square-foot superfood cafés serving açaí, acerola, pitaya and graviola bowls, along with smoothies, fresh juices, soups, salads and panini.

The Protein Bowl also lines up with how the chain has been talking about the category. In a 2026 blog post, Vitality Bowls focused on functional foods and consumer demand for meals and snacks that support energy, focus and recovery. Its nutritional guide already points to the same strategy, with protein-rich add-ons such as almonds, almond butter, hemp seeds, peanut butter, chia seeds and flax seeds built into the menu architecture.

That is why this launch matters beyond one limited-time item. Vitality Bowls is treating protein as a core value proposition inside açaí, not an optional upgrade on the side. For operators, that is a useful read on where fast casual is headed: familiar formats still matter, but they are increasingly expected to carry a stronger nutrition story. For a brand built on superfoods, the message is clear. A bowl can no longer just look healthy. It has to hold somebody over, too.