From NJ brothers’ shop to ShopRite shelves
From meat and potatoes to fruits and a plant-based diet, two brothers changed their lives with the help of an acai bowl. Now they want to change the lives of others for the better.
Brian and Danny Bongiorno were not really into eating fruits and greens, but after they gained weight during their teen years, the Italian-American brothers decided it was time to change their eating habits.
Their journey toward a healthier lifestyle turned into a business — Bonji Bowls. Along the way they also encouraged family members and their community, to also live a healthier lifestyle.
“We had Italian places all around us and we never really had like a strict diet as kids,” said older brother Danny, 25. “We also didn’t know how to eat, you know, we just stuffed our faces.”
Growing up, the brothers were high school football players and were used to loading up on carbs, eating their mother’s homemade Italian dishes and “stuffing their face” with anything they craved. By the time they reached the eighth grade, Danny weighed 210 pounds and his brother, Brian, 270 pounds. Once they graduated high school and stopped playing football, they realized they needed to change the way they ate and to live a healthier lifestyle.
“We would have cereal in the morning, then a sandwich for lunch and you know, a burger for dinner,” said Brian, 22. “At least in our position, we just didn’t know anything else.”
Their push for a healthy lifestyle didn’t come on their own. it was “love at first taste” after their sister introduced them to acai bowls.
After they tasted the fruity bowl, they said they realized healthy eating also tasted good.
Instead of eating ice cream and fudge, they crafted their own acai concoctions that include almond butter on fresh fruit. They started to eat more fruits and vegetables and worked out at the gym. Danny lost 75 pounds and Brian lost 50.
“Our sister dragged us to a juice bar about 30 minutes away from us. We became addicted to [acai bowls], but [fruits] were never in our diet before,” Danny said. “But we didn’t have to force down raw kale and chicken to eat a healthy meal.”
The Bongiorno brothers developed a line of acai bowls and in 2017 opened Bonji Bowls. Their juice bar cafe in the Gillette section of Long Hill Township in Morris County serves their line of acai bowl mixes, smoothies and juices. From the original acai flavor to coconut, pitaya, passion fruit, lychee and dark chocolate chip, their vegan and dairy-free acai bowls are a healthy alternative they wish they had growing up, the brothers said.
Born and raised in Long Hill Township, the brothers said the community has “enthusiastically” welcomed their cafe. Their biggest customers are teenagers and children who bring their parents in to try an acai bowl.
“We developed a really large customer base with parents and their younger kids,” Brian said. “For some of them, it’s the first time that they had an acai bowl and it’s because the kids were dragging the parents.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the brother’s expanded their business to Shoprite locations across Bergen and Hudson County and Rockland County in New York. They said they never imagined their lifestyle changes would lead them to start their own business, but they are thankful for the community support they have received. They are also thankful to their family, which also changed their eating habits after they lost weight.
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“We pride ourselves on being a family business where people enjoy spending their time and we’re thankful for the support we’ve received from our friends and our family, especially,” Brian added.
The Bongiorno family still gathers on Friday nights to enjoy a “cheat meal” and their mother’s homecooked Italian meals. For them, living a healthy life is about “taking baby steps” and losing weight is “a journey of a lifetime.”
“Don’t hold yourself accountable to like, okay, I’ve been eating super healthy and tomorrow I’m going to start keto because it’s just one meal at a time,” Brian said. “If you’re not perfect on a meal, don’t beat yourself up.”
Bonji Bowls is located at 977 Valley Road in the Gillette section of Long Hill Township.
Jessie Gomez is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com and NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @jessiereport
