Scooping up something new

Those with a sweet tooth will have a healthier option this month with the addition of a new Creston restaurant. Big Acai will be opening at 201 W. Adams St. in the coming weeks.

An acai (ah-sigh-ee) is a small red berry found in South America, heavy in nutrients and antioxidants. The fruit took off in popularity on the west coast about 2014, with health-focused restaurants serving acai bowls.

These bowls contain an acai sorbet topped with a variety of healthy ingredients, including granola and various fruits. Now, most people refer to this sorbet when referencing acai.

Creston owners Brian and Megan Kinkade purchased the building in April, and it didn’t take long for them to decide to bring Big Acai to Creston.

“We wanted to do what we could to preserve the building and help improve uptown Creston,” Brian said. “I had found a few articles online about low-cost start up franchises and more than one mentioned acai bowls as a good business. Big Acai already had a good footprint in the state and both Megan and I just really liked the vibe of the company and the business model, and we just felt Big Acai would be a good fit for Creston.”

To top it off, Big Acai co-founder Lanette Byers grew up in Union County and graduated from East Union High School in the ‘80s.

Lanette and her son Jake founded Big Acai as a food truck in 2017, though it didn’t take long for permanent locations to start popping up. They opened their first franchise in 2019 and now have 13 locations throughout Iowa.

While the Byers are the founders of Big Acai, Lanette said they put heavy emphasis on the individual franchise owners.

“We’re really very much an advocate with connecting with your local owner. We try to empower them and give them as much recognition, because they’re the ones that really wanted to bring it to the community,” Lanette said. “Brian and Megan are absolutely passionate about having a healthy option in Creston.”

On the menu at Creston’s Big Acai are bowls and smoothies. The bowls all include granola, banana and a choice of a free topping. Though called acai bowls, customers have the choice of a number of sorbet bases, including acai, coconut, mango and more.

While some locations also offer other food, Creston’s will keep with the acai for now. “We will also serve a handful of flavors of espresso. We will later add avocado toast and a variety of hot chocolates,” Brian said.

Outside of Big Acai, Brian and Megan are busy in the community. Brian is an optometrist for his own clinics found in Walmart in Creston and Atlantic, as well as serving as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve. Megan is counselor working on her master’s degree. The couple has three children who attend St. Malachy School.

The family is still looking to hire for their new shop. Those interested can email creston@bigacaibowl.com.

Once the shop is ready, Big Acai will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.