Feb 15

Feb 15 Verve Bowl: Ballard location features acai bowls, local kombucha on tap

Scott and Matt Alderson have been hatching businesses since they were in middle school. From peddling collected golf balls to designing streetwear, these innovative brothers love sharing their passions with the world through entrepreneurship. And in 2015 - when they tasted acai for the first time - they put their money where their mouth was. They opened Verve Bowl, Seattle’s premier smoothie bowl shop.

“I didn’t know much about acai,” Scott, 24, reminisced. “I went into a shop in Las Vegas. They had a clean, refreshing atmosphere. It was a hot Vegas day. They made me this bowl and it was nothing like I’d ever tasted before. It was an ‘aha’ moment.”

“I had gone down to Vegas with my tennis team,” added Matt, 22. “It was so good to have for refueling after a match. I felt energized the rest of the day.”

Like any restaurateur, Scott and Matt had their own set of challenges when opening their flagship Capitol Hill location, including adapting their menu to Seattle’s tastebuds.

“We swapped our recipe to be almond milk-based,” said Scott. “We found the sweetness of the apple juice base in the Vegas bowl didn’t appeal to Seattle. Our customers really care about what they’re putting in their bodies, so we house-make our almond milk using just a few simple ingredients.”

Verve Bowl’s owners find their success in only using high-quality ingredients. They source as many of their ingredients as locally as possible. When they can’t get local, they get personal.

“Scott just returned from a trip to Brazil to see the acai harvesting process,” said Matt. “He met the pickers and saw the whole process.”

“When you harvest the fruit, you have a very short amount of time to process before it oxidizes,” said Scott as he showed us photos. “I wanted to see how it was eaten in the raw. I also wanted to see what happens to the acai before we receive it. I want to know what I’m eating.”

Their brand spanking new Ballard location boasts 1,400 square feet - large enough to fit a walk-in freezer to house their large acai orders. Scott and Matt also envisioned a different experience for their Ballard spot.

“Ballard is more of a sit-down experience,” said Scott. “We get a lot of to-go orders in Capitol Hill. Ballard has a different vibe and we wanted that location to match that neighborhood.”

Verve Bowl Ballard also offers a unique drink menu, including good-for-your-gut Bellingham-made Kombuchatown on tap and a Seattle University student-created and operated MotMot fair trade espresso.

But at the end of the day, when asked what their favorite menu items are, Scott and Matt go for their made-to-order acai bowls. While Scott favors their classic, peanut-buttery Vervacious, Matt prefers a tart treat that was at one time just a bowl du jour.

“Razzle dazzle,” said Matt, without hesitation.

Verve Bowls is Seattle’s locally-owned feel-good acai bowl and healthy eats one-stop shop. With locations in Capitol Hill and Ballard, Verve Bowls hand-crafts each order with wholesome, ethically-sourced ingredients. Check out their menu at www.vervebowls.com or pour through pics of their tropical concoctions at @vervebowls.