New York City — Bikky, a customer data platform built exclusively for multi-unit restaurants, has partnered with with Playa Bowls, the nation’s leading acai shop, serving superfruit bowls, smoothies, juices and more with sustainability and community in mind.
Playa Bowls started as a makeshift pop-up in Belmar, N.J., in front of a pizzeria. The brand expanded from a single blender and a small cart to more than 300 U.S. locations in just 11 years. With ambitious plans to add another 90 shops in 2025 and a need to improve its data access, Playa Bowls turned to Bikky to truly understand what’s driving their business.
“We had a lot of questions about what was underlying some of our performance trends, but very limited data capabilities,” says Jayson Tipp, chief development officer at Playa Bowls. “With Bikky, we can start answering key questions about the business using individual guest insights, rather than a gut feeling.”
Prior to Bikky, Playa Bowls’ relied heavily on manual reporting and POS data. While directional trends were visible, the “why” behind shop performance remained elusive. Was a jump in sales driven by new guests or more frequent visits from existing ones? Was a change in behavior due to a marketing, menu, or operational change or something else?
“These are the questions that can only be answered with a CDP,” says Tipp.
As Playa Bowls continues to rapidly scale, Bikky will play a key role in assessing how new shop openings impact guest behavior. For example, adding a new location near an existing one could divert traffic, or it could make the brand more accessible and enable guests to engage more frequently. “When you have data that tells you what your guests are actually doing, it changes the conversation,” says Tipp. “You have a clear understanding of which levers you can pull to drive specific results, and how to repeat what’s working.”
The brand’s single biggest goal for the coming years is continuing to open locations that appeal to guests and franchise owners alike — while moving forward at lightning speed. “We’re confident Bikky will reveal the best way to set new locations up for success,” says Tipp.
“Playa Bowls’ incredible journey from a cart to more than 300 locations exemplifies the power of passion paired with strategic growth,” says Bikky CEO Abhinav Kapur. “As they continue their rapid expansion, having clear visibility into guest behavior becomes critical. Our platform will help Playa Bowls understand exactly what’s driving their success, from menu innovations to new shop openings, enabling them to scale with confidence while maintaining the authentic experience that guests love.”
The fastest-growing, most innovative restaurants in today’s competitive market look to Bikky for insight into how their decisions impact key metrics like frequency and traffic. Playa Bowls joins a growing roster of brands, including Robeks, WaBa Grill and Dave’s Hot Chicken, who rely on the groundbreaking guest data and analytics platform.
For more information, visit www.franchise.playabowls.com/.
Bikky is a customer data platform exclusively for multi-unit restaurant brands. By connecting with the entire tech stack — from POS to loyalty — Bikky delivers insight on up to 90% of a restaurant’s guest base, empowering restaurants to make informed, fast decisions that drive incremental sales. Bikky is based in New York City.
SOURCE: Bikky