Two Texas A&M former students, Mike and April Fuchs, will open a new Rush Bowls location near campus on Monday, Feb. 1.
Rush Bowls offers a healthy assortment of bowls and smoothies that contain a blend of fruits and vegetables, adorned with organic granola, honey and a wide selection of fruits and other toppings. Each bowl is customizable while remaining low in calories, containing 40 grams of protein and five servings of fruits and vegetables. In addition, the new College Station location will offer salads and paninis available for curbside pickup.
According to their website, Rush Bowls was founded in 2004 when Andrew Pudalov left his financial career in New York City to pursue his passion for healthy living. Today, there are 31 Rush Bowls locations in 19 states. The new location in College Station will be the sixth to open in Texas.
“We created Rush Bowls because it was clear that many college students needed better options that provided nutritious items in a quick and efficient manner,” Pudalov said. “Expanding to places like College Station is helping us carry out our mission to fuel people’s lives with honest ingredients and delicious recipes.”
Mike and April graduated from A&M in 1999 and 2000, respectively, and after returning from out-of-state five years ago, they wanted to run a family-oriented business to share with their kids.
“We’ve always had a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit,” Mike said. “We found Rush Bowls, and we thought that [açaí] was a trend growing within the food industry, along with fast-casual [restaurants]. We went and learned about the concept of açaí bowls and fell in love with it. It’s rewarding and fun to watch our kids grow and learn about business first-hand.”
The Fuchses said Rush Bowls appeals to a younger, healthy-eating demographic. They noticed College Station’s lack of healthy choices — a niche that Rush Bowls is able to fulfill — and decided to expand. Currently, the pair own two other Rush Bowls locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
“College Station is like a second home to us,” Mike said. “We decided to open up our third Rush Bowls location here because of the close connection we have to the area and because we know that College Station is in need of more health-conscious food options. Rush Bowls is the perfect solution for students and residents who are looking for quick and easy options that are good for you.”
Rush Bowls’ mission to conveniently provide healthy food to people makes them different from other food options around campus, Mike said.
“We take all healthy ingredients and strive to have everything 100 percent natural and organic,” Mike said. “We don’t have fryers or any heavy foods, but everything we offer is good and solid food that’s good for on-the-go. I think our product selection makes us pretty unique. We’re not your typical fast-casual establishment.”
April said health should be a top priority in college, and Rush Bowls aims to integrate their nutritious, meal-in-a-bowl style options into the A&M community.
“We remember what it was like to be such a busy college student,” April said. “We wish there would have been more convenient options that made you feel good while eating them. We are very excited to help people in College Station feel energized on-the-go.”