Bango Bowls opens flagship Westbury store, looking to open 100 more

Bango Bowls, where “healthy shouldn’t taste this good,” is laying the foundation for massive growth across the Tri-State area and beyond.

On Dec. 16, the company opened its new flagship location in Westbury, located at 469 Old Country Road, across from Costco. The hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., every day.

Bango Bowls has another Nassau location in the works as well.

The goal is 100 franchise locations by the end of 2025.

“The opening of Westbury, this is our pivotal moment, where our improved menus and layout and design are being showcased for all to see and experience,” said Ryan Thorman, Bango Bowls CEO. “This is how all future Bango Bowls locations will look, feel and operate.”

“It’s a refined and updated look,” he said.

The brand has an ambitious vision, and we’re not the only ones taking notice. Bango Bowls, which started on Long Island, was recently ranked nationally as a Top 20 Fast Casual Brand to watch in 2023.

The ‘Better For You’ brand 

Today, each of the six Bango Bowls location in Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester serves salads, warm grain bowls, poke bowls, acai bowls, flaninis and avocado toasts.

“We have become that ‘better-for-you option’ for the entire family,” Thorman said. 

So, what’s that mean, better?

First, this isn’t your typical, granola health food restaurant.

“Definitely not,” Thorman said with a laugh. “We actually use salt and pepper here.”

That’s by philosophical design. 

The company’s overarching goal is to gain legions of fans by offering them a quick, better alternative to pizza, burgers, tacos and deli sandwiches — but an alternative that’s still very delicious. 

“If you want to eat well and continue eating well, flavor is just as important as the health benefits,” Thorman said. “You want to feel better about what you put in your body, but enjoying the taste of the food is so important. Otherwise you eat healthy for a few days, weeks or months and then you’re done, like a fad diet, because you just simply cannot enjoy it.”

That’s why all the chicken at Bango Bowls is seasoned overnight, and never frozen. 

That’s why all the dressings are made in-house daily.

That’s why they use nothing but the freshest ingredients.

“Our vision is to be a leading national brand in ‘better for you,’’ he said. “This is accomplished with quality ingredients and flavor, because if it doesn’t taste good, they ain’t coming back.

“And I am proud to say our food is damn good.”

The future

The Westbury location is roughly 1,100 square feet, with a customer flow designed with the modern era in mind. 

“The restaurant landscape continues to change, along with customer preferences,” Thorman said. “The world doesn’t turn off anymore. People are on the go all the time and we are building a quick serve restaurant concept that adheres to that.

“Convenience and speed are some of our core values, along with the fresh and flavorful food.”

Meanwhile, all the systems are being put in place to scale — from branding, to distribution, to food sourcing, to employee training.  

Thorman and the rest of the corporate team are especially excited about the simplicity of the concept. Yes, the menu is diverse, but they’ve mastered a way to keep the operation simplified. 

The company will start franchising in early 2023. To that end, they already have a list of about 100 people who have already contacted Bango Bowls expressing interest.

“We couldn’t be more excited to offer economic opportunity and a support system for our future franchisees,” he said. “And we will continue to innovate. You can never just sit on your laurels. We will always be pushing and growing, because if you don’t innovate, you die.”

Westbury store photos courtesy of Bango Bowls.