WALLINGFORD – Topped with a drizzle of peanut butter, sliced apples and a strawberry rose, the new “Blue Magic” bowl looks like a treat from a street-side shop, as indicated by the neon graffiti on the side of the wall — not a movie theater concession stand.
Boost Bowl, however, has become another movie snack option located inside Holiday Cinemas Stadium 14 on North Colony Road. Frozen fruit gets put through a blender to create a base with a consistency similar to soft-serve ice cream, then gets topped with a variety of goodies.
“We’re trying to give a better alternative because if you’re a (regular) at the movie theater, it’s good to have a healthier option,” said Kevin Ferreira, manager of Boost Bowls in Wallingford.
Other Boost Bowl shops are located in Bethel and, most recently, in Southbury, also located inside a movie theater. The Wallingford location offers plenty of unique creations and a “hip-hop vibe.”
“Everyone loves it. Everyone who comes in is always surprised by everything,” said Victoria Doyle, Wallingford theater general manager. “A lot of people will come in just for the bowls, actually.”
Ferreira recently tested out the new “Blue Magic” bowl made with blue algae blended with frozen banana, pineapple, passion fruit and topped with granola, peanut butter, apple slices and a rose-shaped strawberry in the middle.
“It’s a passionfruit bowl but the blue algae, if you actually smell it, smells awful but it tastes really good,” Ferreira said.
Popular bowls include the Pitaya bowl blended with dragon fruit, bananas and strawberries. Customers can also request an avocado bowl, yogurt bowl, or the classic acai bowl.
After the base is chosen, a variety of toppings are available ranging from super foods like cacao nibs, chia seeds, hemp seeds and goji berries, to drizzles of peanut butter or nutella.
“It’s fun, the kids love it,” Ferreira said.
He said a big draw is the opportunity to take an Instagram photo of the colorful bowls in front of an equally colorful graffiti-style mural depicting late hip-hop artists Tupac and Biggie.
“We like to make it authentic, you know. Make it fun for the kids to take pictures,” Ferreira said. “Social media is a big thing nowadays.”
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