Harvard Square is Berry Enthusiastic About New Açaí Bowl Shop

Harvard Square got a taste of freshness and flavor on Wednesday with the grand opening of SoBol — a shop primarily selling açaí bowls, smoothies, and other fruit-based foods.

SoBol, located at 5 JFK St., replaced the boba shop Tiger Sugar, which closed down in 2024 and is the fourth of the franchise in Massachusetts. The Long Island-based company also has locations in Beverly, Duxbury, and North Andover, and over 100 other shops open or under development nationwide.

The owner of the Harvard Square SoBol, Meet Patel, said he was inspired to start his own franchise after trying one of the company’s açaí bowls for the first time.

“I was driving back from Long Island to go back to Princeton, where I was studying at the time,” Patel said. “And then, at Princeton, there’s a Playa Bowls, and then, I wanted an açaí bowl. I was in Long Island, I got a SoBol.”

“And then, I was like, ‘This tastes way better than Playa Bowls,’” he added.

The Harvard Square location of SoBol is Patel’s first venture into franchising. He said he feels “proud” to see his team’s work come to fruition.

“I see the quality of work that has gone into this, and it’s amazing,” Patel said.

Patel studied chemistry at UMass Lowell, then attended medical school for a semester before realizing he wanted to do something more creative, he said.

“I want something where I have a little more freedom for my time and my brain,” Patel said. “I want to be able to think creatively and have a place to do that.”

For their grand opening, SoBol offered a $2 açaí bowl deal that brought a long line of Harvard students and Cambridge residents stretching around the corner of JFK St.

Chris R. Gorman ’28 and Michaela D’Arcy ’28, both athletes, said SoBol’s opening was a perfect way to get their nutrients.

“We both just trained really hard this morning. Açaí is a superfood, that’s what they’re saying,” Gorman said. “So we came out for a $2 bowl. Sounded like a bargain.”

Customers have so far given positive feedback on the new açaí bowls. Julia Alvarenga ’26, who is Brazilian, noted that açaí bowls have roots in Brazilian culture and said she was pleased by SoBol’s rendition.

“I have very high expectations when it comes to açaí,” Alvarenga said, saying SolBol’s seemed “pretty good quality” and “fresh.”

Harvard Square is packed with açaí bowl shops, including Playa Bowls, Life Alive Organic Cafe, and Mother Juice. Patel said the differentiating factor between SoBol and these shops is the ingredients they use and how they are prepared.

“Our main products are blended in-house each day,” Patel said. “We don’t use any ice, we don’t add any sugar to those. And you can clearly see the SoBol difference in our product.”

Sanjna Rajagopalan ’26 agreed with this distinction after buying a bowl.

“I like that it’s not too sweet. It’s refreshing without being like a dessert,” Rajagopalan said. “It feels more like a meal, and I like that.”

Rajagopalan said that despite the crowds, the workers welcomed each customer enthusiastically.

“They’re very friendly,” Rajagopalan said. “That guy must have been so tired after making this many bowls, but then they still remembered our names, and they still talked to us, told us where the store originated, all the locations that they’re appearing in now.”

With SoBol’s grand opening, Cambridge residents like Remi Harrison are excited for another addition to the variety of foods available in the Square.

“Nice to see some competition. See what new stuff they might come up with. See what they do to attract attention from those customers,” Harrison said.

“It’s also a bit of a break from all the new boba shops coming up. I have nothing against boba, but it’s ridiculous,” she added.

— Staff writer Jaya N. Karamcheti can be reached at jaya.karamcheti@thecrimson.com.

— Staff writer Kevin Zhong can be reached at kevin.zhong@thecrimson.com.