By MADDY VITALE
Beachgoers can now add acai bowls this summer to the long list of treats they can purchase while soaking up the rays on Sea Isle City beaches.
The city awarded a contract to vendor Luna Soul & Bowls, of Ocean View, the sole bidder of a two-year contract to sell their healthy goodies on the beach.
At a January meeting, City Council took the first step to allow a beach vendor to sell acai bowls topped with fresh fruit, granola, seeds, nuts, peanut butter and other delights.
Tara Todd and her niece, Nicole Crudele, are co-owners of Luna Soul & Bowls, based in Ocean View.
They said they are excited to bring their healthy foods to visitors on Sea Isle beaches this coming summer.
“We are just thrilled that Sea Isle is allowing us to offer our additional convenient healthy eating options on the beach,” the duo said in a statement.
They will be out there along with other vendors and beachgoers on Memorial Day weekend, the traditional kickoff to the summer season and will continue to offer the tasty foods through Labor Day.
“We are so excited to be able to expand into our hometown and offer healthy eating options to the beach goers this season,” they said.
While visitors already have their choices of ice cream, hot dogs and coffees while lounging on the city’s sands, this is Todd and Crudele’s first experience selling their food on Sea Isle’s beaches, or any beaches for that matter.
“This is our first time selling on the beach, but we have attended several farmers markets and festivals since we opened,” they said of their prior experience with selling outside of their home base.
Beachgoers can expect a wide selection too.
“We will be selling our fresh acai blend that we make daily, along with local fruits, gluten free and nut free granola and toppings of choice,” Todd and Crudele noted. “For those who may want a smaller snack, we will be offering our Moon Balls, (which are) gluten free protein bites.”
There was a stipulation. The winner of the contract to sell the acai bowls would be restricted from selling their foods between 32 and 45 Street so that they would not compete with existing businesses.
During the January City Council meeting City Business Administrator George Savastano explained.
“We don’t want to disenfranchise the local businesses,” he said at the meeting.
Todd and Crudele said they were aware of the restriction and that it was in the BID packet.
“But since we are friendly with some of the other acai company owners, we respect the city’s choice in restricting the sale of bowls between those streets,” they emphasized.
Food and beverage vendors marching up and down the beaches are nothing new for Sea Isle.
The “Fudgy Wudgy Man” ice cream carts have been a mainstay on the beaches for years and a popular amenity for beachgoers.
In addition, a vendor called Beach Brew sold gourmet coffee last summer in Sea Isle. Beach Brew’s baristas pushed specially designed carts that are essentially mini coffee bars along the beaches. Coffee lovers had their brew made fresh, right in front of them.
As with other beach concession contracts, the city will take it on a “case-by-case basis,” officials said during the January City Council meeting.
For food concessions, Sea Isle also allows hotdog vendors to operate on the entryways to the beaches at eight locations: 32nd Street, 40th Street, 52nd Street, 59th Street, 75th Street, 77th Street, 81st Street and 85th Street. By state law, the licenses to sell hotdogs are given to military veterans.
To learn more about Luna Soul & Bowls along with pricing visit the website at www.lunasoulandbowls.com or call (609) 938-4742.
