COMING SOON

Fruity snack chain Playa Bowls goes bananas with first Boerne shop

Playa Bowls is hoping to make a splash in Boerne.

As San Antonio’s suburbs continue to boom, a healthy nationwide snack shop is jumping in to take advantage of the growth. New Jersey-based Playa Bowls is opening its first Boerne shop, at 34674 IH-10 #102, in early 2026.

The chain first teased the location in a summer 2024 release, announcing the signing of several franchise deals. The teaser promised Boerne would eventually get three outposts owned by locals Linda and Lou Crerand, although the Boerne Town Center store is the first to emerge.

“Our franchise network is rapidly expanding as owners are recognizing the success of the Playa Bowls brand and are feeling inspired to bring our delicious and nutritious menu offerings to new communities,” said Jayson Tipp, Chief Development Officer at Playa Bowls, in an earlier release. “We're excited about the momentum we've already gained so early in the year and are eager for what lies ahead."

The fruity franchise was founded in 2014 by a pair of surfers who became enamored by the açai and pitaya bowls they found in Hawaii. The first location was in Belmar, New Jersey, far from the island paradise, but an equally popular place for tanning.

Playa Bowls specializes in tropical bowls, offering more than 40 options built from seven purees: açai, pitaya, coconut, kale, banana, oatmeal, and mango. Each can be topped with various wholesome add-ons like fresh and dried fruit, nuts, granola, and nut butter.

With so much fruit on hand, the chain also makes a lot of smoothies. The more than a dozen options include blends amped up with chocolate protein, peanut butter, and that health food chestnut, wheat grass powder. All use plant-based milks like oat or coconut.

Other sippers include juice blends with beachy names like Endless Summer, Mermaid Fuel, and Dawn Patrol. Grab-and-go cold-press juices and chicory cold brews round off the offerings.

Although the store is confirmed, Playa Bowls has not released any details on the grand opening date. A Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation listing says construction will end in January 2026, but state filings are subject to change.

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COMING ATTRACTIONS

Chef Jason Dady revives much-missed Umai Mi at San Antonio's Pearl

Photo by Katie James

A coconut curry at Umai Mi.

Call 2025 the year of the culinary comeback. San Antonio chef Jason Dady is reviving his short-lived pan-Asian concept Umai Mi on December 10 at Pearl’s Bottling Department food hall at 312 Pearl Pkwy., Bldg 6 #107.

The prolific Alamo City chef first opened Umai Mi at 555 W. Bitters in January 2014 after closing tapas bar Bin 555 a mere 17 days earlier. The menu’s tagline, “so not authentic, it’s absurd,” aptly described the fusion focus, a mishmash of Asian flavors Dady enjoyed tinkering with at home.

Since he retired the restaurant in January 2015, he has explored Mediterranean, Mexican, and Italian concepts. Still, he has not returned to the “countless bowls, broths, herbs, and sauces” of his beloved modern Asian cuisine until now.

This time, Umai Mi has a sharper focus — bánh mì. The sandwiches will be made with Pullman Market crackling demibaguettes, delicate herbs, crunchy vegetables, and a choice of proteins such as lemongrass chicken, ginger soy beef, or shrimp. Guests can also order the sandwich Saigon-Style with a housemade pâté.

Umai Mi Bánh mì is the centerpiece of the menu.Photo by Katie James.

Beyond the sandwiches, Umai Mi will serve a bún bowl built with vermicelli noodles, fresh vegetables, peanuts, and a protein, finished with the house nuóc chãm. Diners can also dive into curries made with slow-simmered blends of coconut milk, aromatics, and Thai basil, available in red, Panang, or green.

The small plates and starters bring back some of Uma Mi’s heavy-hitters, including Japanese-inspired deviled eggs, crispy shrimp rolls, summer rolls, sweet and spicy wings, and a crispy rice salad. Although the kiosk — which replaces Chilaquil — doesn’t have “authentically absurd” cocktails of the original, it does offer playful choices like taro bubble tea, mango milk tea, and strawberry matcha.

The Umai Mi revival comes during a year of restaurant nostalgia. Earlier in the year, restaurateur Chad Carey staged a five-day series of pop-ups supporting Hill Country flood relief that featured the menus of now-shuttered concepts Cookhouse, Sandbar, The Monterey, Gwendolyn, and Feast. Feast is also undergoing a month-long resurrection at Battalion throughout December.

But the Jason Dady Restaurant Group is mostly looking toward the future. This year, the chef has opened Ice Ice Dady and Lil’ Bros BBQ Shack at The Rock at La Cantera and Tre Pizzeria at the San Antonio International Airport. Mexico Ceaty, a reimagining of mall food courts, is slated to debut in early 2026 at the Shops at Rivercenter downtown.

“We’re thrilled to bring Umai Mi to the Food Hall at Pearl, a place that celebrates culinary creativity and community,” says Dady in a statement. “The bánh mì represents what I love about cooking, balancing textures, fresh herbs, and layering flavors in a way that makes every bite exciting. At Umai Mi, it’s not just a menu item; it’s a dish that defines who we are.

Once opened, Umai Mi’s hours will be 11 am-9 pm Monday through Thursday, 10 am-10 pm Friday and Saturday, and 10 am-9 pm Sunday.

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