Oakberry coming to 201 Portage

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This article was published 12/09/2023 (1123 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Acai bowl, anyone?

Acai, an Amazonian fruit, will soon be readily available in one of downtown Winnipeg’s most prominent office towers.

Oakberry, a global chain selling smoothies and customizable acai bowls, is coming to 201 Portage.

“We thought 201 was a great place to start,” said Carter Friesen, CEO of Snowbank Brands.

The company inked an agreement with Oakberry last November to bring the chain across western Canada, Friesen said.

This year, it’s established spots in Vancouver and Calgary. Winnipeg is up next.

“I fell in love with (Oakberry),” said Friesen, a Steinbach native. “I selfishly just wanted the store in Winnipeg.”

He met his love interest while vacationing in Australia in May of 2022. He’d just left his role as president of Golden West Broadcasting, which operates radio stations like CHVN and Winnipeg’s Classic 107.

“I always seek out an acai bowl whenever I’m somewhere else,” Friesen said.

An acai bowl consists of frozen acai fruit pureed, like a thick smoothie, and covered in toppings. Coconut and blueberries are typical garnishes.

Friesen was on Bondi Beach searching for the dish; a quick internet search showed him Oakberry.

The eatery’s lineup was “around the corner,” he remembered.

He ordered his bowl and loaded up à la carte style on toppings — granola, peanut butter, peanut crumbs, bananas, strawberries and condensed milk.

He did the same the next day.

“I thought, ‘Oh man, I need a store,’” Friesen said. “I wasn’t actually planning on making this (my) next career move, but it ended up going that way.”

He contacted Oakberry. The company has around 600 shops in more than 30 countries. It began in Brazil seven years ago.

Oakberry agreed to give Snowbank the lead on franchising across western Canada, Friesen said. Oakberry didn’t respond to questions by print deadline.

“Canadians have really, really taken to (Oakberry),” Friesen stated. “We’ve been really pleased with its launch.”

His team opened its first Oakberry locations in Calgary and Vancouver earlier this summer. Friesen plans to erect another five stores in Vancouver and two in Calgary before 2024, he said.

Acai bowls range from $11.48 to $17.99; smoothies, plus three toppings, are priced between $9.99 and $15.99.

The 300-sq.-ft. Oakberry in 201 Portage’s concourse doesn’t have a set opening date. Permitting and construction control the timeline, but it should open in the next four months, Friesen said.

He’s banking on a crowd of office workers.

Upwards of 1,000 201 Portage tenants enter the tower daily, said Jim Moore, the building’s senior property manager.

“We’ve definitely seen… a bounce back,” Moore said of the current post-pandemic era.

Roughly 80 per cent of office workers in the 33-storey tower are back in some capacity. Most have returned to the office full-time, Moore stated.

The downtown tower has been hosting bands outdoors and lunchtime talks.

“You don’t get this sitting at home,” Moore said. “We definitely increased… those sorts of extracurriculars (since the pandemic).”

He called Oakberry “a good fit.” It joins 529 Uptown, an offshoot of 529 Wellington Steakhouse, in calling 201 Portage home. The latter restaurant will likely open in the office tower’s lobby this December, according to Moore.

“I think (Oakberry) is a great idea,” said Madeline Grant, a regular in 201 Portage’s concourse. “There are a lot of people in this area coming to work every day.”

She’s one. Grant has been working full-time in the nearby Richardson Building for the past two months.

“I like the ‘power lunch’ kind of culture,” she said, speedily eating her salad.

Oakberry could be her new stop, she added.

“I see many people coming back,” noted Woo Chun, the owner of Bon Sushi, which holds a spot in 201 Portage’s food court. “The problem is, people (don’t) come every day.”

It’s getting closer to pre-pandemic traffic levels, he added.

Snowbank Brands hopes to open several Oakberry locations in Manitoba. The first franchisee-owned spot is set to open in Calgary next month, Friesen said.

Snowbank advertises Oakberry Canada startup costs in the $100,000 to $320,000 range, including a $40,000 franchise fee.

Friesen cited Oakberry’s relatively low operating cost as a reason Snowbank Brands could open several sites in its first year. He plans to hire one or two full-time equivalent staff at 201 Portage.

A typical store requires no more than 1,000 sq. ft. of space, he noted.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com