Take-out dinner solution for busy families opening locally

“We are delighted to have a local business founded by a homegrown entrepreneur open up in our town,” said Karl Auwaerter, president of the Bayport-Blue Point Chamber of Commerce.

“Bango Bowls will definitely be a wonderful addition to the business community. The chamber looks forward celebrating the opening with a ribbon cutting.”

Bango Bowls, a local Long Island chain of eateries, will be opening its 10th location later this year in the Bayport shopping center on Montauk Highway at a former salon.

Ryan Thorman, who is not the franchisee for the Bayport Bango Bowls but is the founder and owner of the company, said the mission of the eatery is to provide “fresh, flavorful, fast, and friendly” items and service.

While each menu varies at the multiple Bango Bowls locations to cater to the demographics, typically the menu will include salads, poke bowls, acai bowls, and smoothies.

“Our customers come back quite a bit because of the variety,” said Thorman.

A Centereach location is due to open in late April and a Plainview one in mid to late May.

The idea for Bango Bowls came from Thorman’s observations of the trendy and substantial acai bowl places in New York City. Although working in the technology sector for sales and marketing, Thorman opened the first Bango Bowls in a 300-square-foot storefront in Massapequa Park.

The convenience of Bango Bowls comes in with the unique service that involves no chefs or line cooks.

“We have a special oven that does not require ventilation,” said Thorman.

Deliveries are made daily to Bango Bowls locations with main distributors that are locally sourced.

“We hire distributors that have relationships with local farmers,” said Thorman. “We have the same values as local farms.”

Ninety-five percent of the orders at other Bango Bowls locations are take-out and as a busy father himself in Bayport, Thorman said, “It’s perfect for a family; mom and dad can get salads, the kids get acai bowls, but you can get it all from one place.”

As a native of Bayport, Thorman said this location is “close to my heart” and that “[Bango Bowls] aligns with a lot of the families’ needs” in the area.

Thorman coaches his children’s soccer and wrestling teams, and even served as judge for the chamber’s annual Shark Tank competition, where students from the high school compete in building a novel business.

“Afternoon pickup is like a high school reunion every day,” said Thorman.

“Welcoming Bango Bowls to the Bayport Shopping Center is an exciting moment for our district. This new business offers healthy choices like salads, smoothies, and açaí bowls for our children and community. Seeing a Bayport graduate reinvest in his hometown is inspiring, and what makes Bayport so special and the best place to call home,” said councilman John Lorenzo.