Today we’d like to introduce you to Andy Graham.
Andy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Paradise Bowls opened its doors at our first location in Manhattan Beach in January 2013. Since then we’ve expanded with locations in Hermosa Beach, Irvine, and Newport Beach. The South Bay is a close-knit, active, and family oriented community. We’re family owned and operated so we feel it’s a perfect fit here. Our company was started by my brother, Alex Graham, and our friend Justin Segal (to be honest these guys did a lot of the heavy lifting to get the company off the ground). Since then my wife, Larissa, and I have taken over running the Los Angeles stores. Elizabeth Arcuri, who I’ve known since birth and is basically my sister, runs our Orange County stores alongside her father, Jim Arcuri. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my parents, Pat and Joanne Graham, who have been known to come in on weekends, chopping strawberries and washing blenders for hours on end.
As you can see we are literally family operated (even our dogs, Joey and Abby, have been known to visit and beg for strawberries).
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s just tough to run your own business and try to learn on the fly. I had absolutely no restaurant experience before this so I’m constantly learning something new (or dealing with a new issue). I’ve also learned that in this business being busy is a good problem to have. I’d worry if I didn’t have anything to do one day. I had your standard 9-5 job before Paradise Bowls so I’ve had to adapt to being on call 24/7. If Larissa and I want a day off we have to head out of town and turn off our phones. Luckily for us, we have a great group of employees at our stores and we’ve learned that we can really depend on them.
Paradise Bowls – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Paradise Bowls is known for acai bowls, pitaya bowls, and smoothies. Acai in particular in really taken off in popularity over the past few years and we’re proud to serve something that not only tastes great, but is great for you. Southern California, the South Bay specifically, is full of people who want to live that active and healthy lifestyle. We get a wide range of customers, whether it’s a group of AVP volleyball players coming in after a training session on the beach in Hermosa, someone who’s just finished a yoga session in Manhattan, or kids coming in after school, we’re extremely proud to be a part of their daily routine.
What sets us apart? Well anyone can tell you how good their product tastes, don’t get me wrong, I think our bowls are unbelievable. Our product is unlike anything else you’ll see in LA. It’s literally considered superfood. But I think what really sets us apart, and also what I’m most proud of, is how we really try to be a great member of the community. We support local elementary school fundraisers. We sponsor teams at Mira Costa High School and Redondo Union High School. You’ll see us at the AVP Manhattan Beach Open this summer. We participate in events put on by the cities of Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach. I love seeing kids walking around in a pair of Paradise Bowls sunglasses that we hand out at local events.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I don’t really think there’s just one moment. We’re proud of many different things. I’m proud when a customer compliments our employees. I’m proud when someone emails me telling me how good their bowl was. I’m proud when I walk into the store and there’s a line out the door because people like what we’re doing at Paradise Bowls. We get customers from out of town who want to open their own Paradise Bowls wherever they’re from (Wisconsin, Michigan, Rhode Island, Connecticut, you name it we’ve heard it) because they love our stuff. That’s always pretty cool to hear.
Pricing:
- Small: $6.75-$7.25
- Medium: $8.25-$9.25
- Large: $10.25-$10.95
- Smoothies: $6.45
Contact Info:
- Address: Manhattan Beach: 919 Manhattan Ave Unit D, Manhattan Beach, CA, 90266.
Hermosa Beach: 1246 Hermosa Ave, Hermosa Beach, CA, 90254
Irvine: 3972 Barranca Pkwy., Suite L, Irvine, CA,m 92606
Newport Beach: 2545 Eastbluff Drive, Newport Beach, CA, 92660 - Website: www.paradisebowls.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: paradisebowls
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ParadiseBowls
- Twitter: @paradisebowls
Image Credit:
All photos taken by Larissa Graham.
