Pro volleyball player to bring international acai bowl brand to downtown St. Pete
oakberry acai will open at 111 2nd avenue ne in suite 205 | St. pete rising
An international acai bowl brand will debut its first Tampa Bay location in downtown St. Pete.
Sarah Schermerton Murphy, a new franchisee of Oakberry Acai, which claims to be the No. 1 acai brand in the world, plans to open the downtown St. Pete restaurant at 205 1st Street North in a space formerly leased by HaleLife Bakery, which recently announced a location in the Warehouse Arts District.
Erica Delgado of Vector Commercial Real Estate Services represented Oakberry in the lease transaction.
"I play professional volleyball and my teammates and coaches from Brazil taught me about acai," said Schermerton Murphy, a St. Pete resident who plays volleyball internationally and domestically.
Sarah Schermerton Murphy (left) and Corinne Quiggle pictured at the 2023 AVP Hermosa Beach Open | facebook image
She was introduced to the Miami-based Oakberry Acai brand while playing competitive matches in Brazil and California, where the company has a major presence.
The açaí fruit has long been an important food source for the Amazon region, in Brazil. It's a dark purple berry from a native tree (Acai Palm Tree) and is rich in antioxidants and nutrients.
The popularity of the sweet fruit has been boosted by the concept of açaí bowls, which typically have a base of frozen acai and are topped with a choice of fruits and sprinkled with granola, honey, and other fixings.
The acai cups come in a variety of sizes | oakberry acai
However, the Oakberry Acai brand strays from the trending preparation model as it serves acai in a parfait-like style in a cup. Instead of trying to dig your spoon through a mound of bananas and strawberries, the toppings are layered throughout the cup.
"We use 100% acai with a little agave to sweeten it," said Schermerton Murphy, explaining some chains use blended fruit as the base.
Oakberry acai’s cups layered with toppings | instagram
Oakberry Acai sources açaí berries from the heart of the Brazilian Amazon in the state of Pará, Brazil. The berries are then processed at a facility in the Amazon region.
The stores offer 12, 16, and 24-oz smoothies and acai cups with unlimited toppings.
She expects to open the 600-square-foot storefront this August on the ground floor of the Plaza Tower, next to Russian antique store Vladimir's Collections.
As a franchisee, Schermerton Murphy plans to open two more locations with potentially a second in St. Pete and another in Sarasota.
Oakberry Acai, founded in 2016, has 600 stores in over 35 countries. The company is pursuing additional store locations in regions throughout North America.
Follow Oakberry Acai on Instagram for the latest store openings and announcements.