Photo courtesy: Rush Bowls Columbus
There’s a corner of West Lane Avenue, right by The Ohio State University Ice Rink, that some may describe as a little lacking in sustenance.
Food, people.
Roger Faulkenberry saw this empty space and filled it with colorful acai bowls and smoothies.
Rush Bowls opened at the beginning of January when co-owner, Faulkenberry, and second co-owner, John McDonald, thought the area around north campus needed more quick, easy, delicious and healthy food options. Faulkenberry's own son attended OSU and was all for the idea.
So, what the heck is a Rush Bowl?
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Photo courtesy: Mallory Arnold/Rush Bowls
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Faulkenberry explained that Rush Bowls are made with excellent attention to detail to not only the whole, natural ingredients, but also the blending process. He attributes how creamy and savory the acai bowls are to the amount of training that each employee must go through when first hired.
Photo courtesy: Rush Bowls
“It’s an art form,” he laughs. “Truly, though, these employees spend a lot of time learning the process. It’s almost like training someone to be a barista at a coffee shop.”
I was guided through the menu and discovered that the bowls were filled with tons of fruit and an array of toppings. Some common flavors are banana, strawberry, mango, chai, pineapple, coconut, blueberry and blackberry. There’s also a section for supplements, which are extra ingredients that take a bowl up a notch. The selections range from chocolate protein and kale to antioxidants, brain
Photo courtesy: Mallory Arnold
wave, weight trim and even a hangover supplement.
“Supplement Sunday and Saturday,” Faulkenberry says, smiling. “That’s when you get one free supplement. One employee also came up with Topping Tuesday – which is on Tuesday you get one free topping.”
Faulkenberry credits a lot of the food’s creativity to the employees, most of whom are Ohio State students. It appears there’s a great deal of collaboration that goes into being a part of the team.
“They’re a great, creative, start-up team,” he says.
There’s even a Bow Wow Bowl made specifically for furry friends. The treat is made up of banana, peanut butter, milk, frozen yogurt and a Milk Bone on top.
Though I blew into my chapped, January-bitten hands that afternoon on campus, the Dragon Bowl I had was enough to make me forget about the weather. Even during the cold walk back to the car, I took my sweet time licking up the last of the granola and pitaya fruit from my bowl – I certainly wasn’t in any rush.
Check out the Rush Bowls Columbus Facebook page for more information!
Mallory Arnold is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at marnold@cityscenemediagroup.com.
