The Fruit Stand, a new vegan restaurant in Kent, started offering a fully customizable menu on Jan. 5 at 175 E Erie St., the former location of Popped! in Acorn Alley.

The Fruit Stand brings a different menu to Kent in the form of fresh fruit in acai bowls and a smoothie bar. 

Customers customize their own order by choosing what they want in their bowl or smoothie. The ordering for the restaurant is set up in a Chipotle-style. 

Jason Carpinelli, founder and owner of The Fruit Stand, said their opening was “better than he could have expected.”

“We’ve sold out a few times,” Carpinelli said. “I planned one [grand opening] but we had already become so busy that I didn’t need to do a special grand opening.” 

Carpinelli accredits the success from the business on The Fruit Stand’s social media presence, specifically on Instagram and Facebook where their presence has “taken off”. The Fruit Stand has over 1,000 likes on Facebook and over 2,000 followers on Instagram. 

“I have been very happy with where we’ve been at every day,” Carpinelli said in response to how COVID-19 has affected their business. 

Carpinelli explains how other than social distancing and mask protocols, COVID has barely affected the restaurant’s opening. 

“It took a couple of months in my head to plan everything out,” Carpinelli said. “Physically being here, [in the restaurant] we actually finished building in under a month.” 

“I really like Downtown Kent and really like Acorn Alley. I knew there was a need for [a] fresh fruit type of place,” Carpinelli said. “Just simple, basic, fresh fruit bowls, especially for college students.”

Although The Fruit Stand only has in-store dining, Carpinelli said the restaurant will have curbside pick-up and delivery within the next two weeks.

Chloe Zofchak covers the City of Kent. Contact her at [email protected].