Above: Inside Playa Bowls at 1000 Division Street.

Patrick McCue and Erik Hamil learned about Playa Bowls while on beach vacations in New Jersey. They liked it so much that together with friend Mike Walsh, they opened up the first Rhode Island location at 1000 Division St. (next to Massage Envy) earlier this month. The restaurant is owned by Rhode Islanders Patrick McCue, Erik Hamel, and Mike Walsh, who said that East Greenwich aligned with their market analysis, as a place where consumers are looking for health-focused food options. 

“East Greenwich Square is an ideal location for our first Playa Bowls establishment,” said McCue, who noted it’s right off Route 95 and Route 4 and nearby Dave’s Marketplace. 

The owners plan to open more locations in Rhode Island and expand their reach across the state, based on their expectations of increasing popularity of healthy dining. 

Their menu has a vast assortment of smoothie bowls to choose from with different bases and toppings, including acai, pitaya, coconut, and mango. Customers can order in the shop or online, however there are limited seats inside. Their hours are 8 to 9 p.m. seven days a week. 

Playa Bowls, 1000 Division Street, East Greenwich, (401) 471-7056. 

Playa Bowls, 1000 Division Road, East Greenwich.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Longtime friends John Speights and Jason Maranhao started Cooper’s Cask Coffee in 2014, roasting coffee aged in whiskey barrels from Sons of Liberty Spirits, after not being able to find an existing product they liked. 

Since then, they have established themselves as retailers on Amazon. Their coffee is also sold on their website. The name “Cooper’s” is in reference cooper, which means barrel maker. 

They moved to East Greenwich in 2018 when a space opened up, and expanded their business. Speights lives in North Kingstown. Local residents can visit their warehouse located at 2240 South County Trail. 

“People are welcome to come, we have customers walk into the roastery all the time just to grab a bag,” said Speights. 

Cooper’s Cask Coffee comes in a variety of flavors based on the barrels it is aged in: bourbon, rum, malt whiskey, and rye whiskey. They also have a wine line with cabernet, chardonnay, and pinot noir. Each is paired with coffees from different origins. The coffee making process consists of aging the beans in used barrels for approximately 45 days before roasting. 

Cooper’s Cask Coffee, 2240 S County Trl, East Greenwich. 

The Cooper’s Cask Coffee team.