When Kara Jordan and Erin Downing moved to Austin from Hawaii and California, respectively, Jordan said they felt one major thing was missing from their newly found hometown—acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) bowls.
So, the lifelong best friends quickly got to work creating Blenders and Bowls’ original smoothie and acai bowl menu in a shared apartment, she said.
After starting with a food truck in Austin and then opening a location downtown, they now have a second location in West Lake Hills that opened in April.
Most of their Blenders and Bowls creations include the acai, a fruit native to Brazil, which they get straight from the source, Jordan said. Besides importing acai, they try to get as much of their fruit and products as possible from local sources, she said. That includes using Round Rock honey and Fredericksburg peaches in the summer, she said.
“We have tried to make local relationships and have seen those companies grow,” Jordan said. “It’s a big support system here.”
The most popular bowl is the O.G., or Original Gangsta ($7 small, $9 large). It includes acai, strawberries, bananas and apple juice, and is topped with hemp granola, strawberries, bananas and honey.
As for a blender option, the Legend ($7.75) is the eatery’s best-seller, and it includes acai, bananas, blueberries, peanut butter and chocolate almond milk.
Each of Blenders and Bowls’ menu items include allergen and nutrition information, including calories.
“Everything is customizable, so customers can get as crazy as possible with [their orders],” Jordan said. “For example, for some vegans, honey is considered an animal product, so we can definitely leave that off.”
Items can be made gluten-free by using a gluten-free substitution for granola, but the hemp granola the restaurant currently uses is low-gluten, she said. Other examples include using almond butter instead of peanut butter or almond milk instead of dairy, she said.
As for new creations, Jordan said Blenders and Bowls’ employees are always coming up with new and inventive combinations.
“[The employees] are the ones that always make their own custom meals and come up with the great ideas,” she said. “They eat a bowl a day and get pretty creative, and we take a lot of inspiration from them.”
Growing into the West Lake Hills community has also become a big priority for Jordan and Downing, and Jordan said the business partners are thrilled to be supporting local residents in any way they can.
“We wanted to be a healthy option for all the youngsters in the area—[acai bowls are] something the parents can approve and the kids like to eat,” Jordan said. “There are a ton of families here, and we are all about it.”
3736 Bee Caves Road, Ste. 8, West Lake Hills 512-584-8800 www.blendersandbowls.com Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Sun. 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
