When Natalie Anderson and her husband left Lawrence after her graduation in 2021 with her Masters Degree in Accounting, she knew someday she would own her own business but the road to that dream was still a little fuzzy.
“I knew I wanted the freedom of owning my own business but I didn’t know what that would look like at that time,“ said Natalie.
The newly married couple explored a post-graduate future in Arizona and noticed the presence of the Acai Bowl on every corner. Natalie and Austin chose to return to Lawrence to start their family in September of 2021 and they quickly settled into a plan to open their own business, Fruitful Acai Bowls. Natalie had always been into health food and understood the success of the Acai Bowl craze and wanted to bring part of that booming business to Lawrence.
“Of anywhere in Kansas I think the people in Lawrence tend to be a little more health-conscious. It seemed like something that would work well here. There’s also such a wide variety of customers with so many students,” said Natalie
And work well it has. For those who haven’t had the pleasure of the Acai Bowl experience, the origin of the Acai Bowl actually began in the late 1980s and its popularity has soared in recent years. The native Brazilian berry gives the bowls a creamy sorbet-like texture topped with a multitude of healthy organic options such as granola, fruit, coconut, bee pollen, and even chocolate. The anti-inflammatory rich berry has really increased in popularity with America’s heightening health awareness.
Acai Bowls may have the appearance of a decadent dessert and certainly are a great healthy alternative for ice cream or frozen yogurt, but for those health-conscious individuals aiming for weight loss, the bowl can also serve as a meal replacement. With so many health benefits, it’s clear why Lawrence residents have latched on to the organic goodness.
Natalie felt this trend would find a great place in the Lawrence community but opted out of a downtown storefront. They instead situated themselves in the highly trafficked 6th street location. The visibility of the store combined with a steady social media presence has given the young entrepreneur a great start for the new business. In fact, they sold ten times their goal upon opening and aren’t slowing down any time soon.
“We considered a downtown location but wanted our product to be something people can quickly pop in for. The parking downtown doesn’t always allow people to stop and go easily. We wanted to be a place people can just grab and go when they need to,” said Natalie.
Having her son Blaise so soon after opening her own business was daunting but having grown up in the Lawrence area and attended the University of Kansas she knew she would have the advantage of a core network of customers and the help of family. Not to mention, owning her own business with 22 employees has been a great way to afford herself the schedule that new motherhood demands.
“There’s no way I could have this kind of flexibility without this opportunity. And we also just missed the Lawrence Community while we were away. Lawrence has always been home and we’ve always circled back to it,” she notes.
To order your Fruitful Acai Bowl online visit fruitfulacai.com.
