A new açaí bowl shop is moving into one of Verona's most recognizable storefronts. Tiki Bowls, a Nutley-based chain known for its smoothies and superfruit bowls, is opening a location at 532 Bloomfield Avenue, the longtime home of Green Point Juicery, which closed its doors in the township late last month.
A Direct Swap on Verona's Main Commercial Strip
Tiki Bowls announced the upcoming Verona location on social media, as reported by Montclair Girl, though the company has not yet announced an official opening date. The new shop will be Tiki Bowls' fourth location, joining its original spot at 206 Franklin Avenue in Nutley and two Pennsylvania outposts, at 1000 Premium Outlets Drive in Tannersville and 840 W. Hamilton Street in downtown Allentown. The Allentown shop sits in that city's central business district as part of a broader urban commercial revitalization push, according to DTFera.
The Verona location will take over the exact footprint vacated by Green Point Juicery, which announced on social media that it would close its Verona shop on September 27, 2026, per the same Montclair Girl report. The juicery had also closed its Maplewood location earlier this year, though it still operates a store at 28 Speedwell Avenue in Morristown.
Eleven Years of History at 532 Bloomfield Avenue
Green Point Juicery first opened at the Bloomfield Avenue address in the summer of 2015, after founder Eugene Onishkevich was inspired to launch the business following a personal interest in juicing in 2011, according to the Runnymede blog. The juicery spent 11 years at the site before its closing was announced. In August 2016, it became the first business in Verona to earn official recognition as a New Jersey Sustainable Business from the New Jersey Small Business Development Centers, a nod to its waste-reduction and composting practices documented by the Montclair Girl.
The storefront's location has long been considered a draw in its own right. It sits directly across from Verona Park, a 54-acre Essex County park that brings heavy foot traffic from visitors and joggers, per past reporting tied to Green Point Juicery's own site. That kind of pedestrian activity could matter even more soon, since the Township of Verona began the design phase last October for a multi-phase streetscape rehabilitation along Bloomfield Avenue, a project aimed at improving pedestrian safety, crosswalks, ADA accessibility, and downtown landscaping in partnership with Strans Engineering and LiRo-Hill.
What's on the Menu
Tiki Bowls was founded in Nutley in 2016 by a New Jersey firefighter, and the company has built its identity around fresh ingredients, friendly service, and what it describes as a taste of the Jersey Shore, according to the Montclair Girl's reporting. The brand works with local suppliers when possible and bills itself as a healthier alternative to traditional desserts like ice cream.
At the Verona location, Tiki Bowls plans to offer breakfast items, snacks, lighter sweet treats, and midday refreshments. The menu lineup includes açaí, coconut, pitaya, and kale bowls, along with named options like the Aloha Bowl with strawberries, blueberries, coconut, and honey; the Sunset Bowl with strawberries, bananas, coconut, and Nutella; and the Hawaiian Pitaya Bowl with kiwi, pineapple, coconut, and honey. Smoothies, fresh juices, power balls, energy balls, and cold-pressed shots round out the offerings. Beyond the fruit bowls, the broader Tiki Bowls menu elsewhere in its chain includes fitness-focused items such as protein-infused muscle bowls and high-protein smoothies marketed as meal replacements, according to a menu listing on Postmates.
A Growing Category Arrives in a Changing Downtown
The Verona opening lands amid a broader surge in demand for açaí and superfruit bowls. Industry data published by Tastewise in January found a 26.3% year-over-year increase in açaí bowl consumption across food service, with health and fresh taste cited as factors behind 71% of consumer purchase decisions. Separately, Future Market Insights projected in May that the global açaí berry and bowl market will grow at a 7.6% compound annual rate through 2036, pointing to expansion in retail and airport channels as a driver of the category's gains.
Tiki Bowls won't be the only option for health-focused quick bites in Verona. The Fruit Bar on Pompton Avenue has served customizable smoothie bowls and cold drinks since opening in February 2024, giving the incoming shop local competition within the same West Essex market it's entering.
